Section 3: Grasses

Avena barbata

Slender Oat

• Annual or perennial,

Exotic

• • Family: Poaceae
• 2 long awns on each spikelet, both are

straight.

• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi

-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=15320

Avena fatua

Common Wild Oats

• Annual or perennial, Exotic
  • Family: Poaceae
• 2 long awns on each spikelet
  • Awn of the lowest floret is

bent

• • http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=15321

Brachypodium distachyon

False Brome

• Annual or perennial, Exotic
  • Family: Poaceae
• Fuzzy nodes, velvety peach

fuzz

• • Fuzzy ligule
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=16042

Bromus catharticus

Rescue Grass

• Annual or perennial, Exotic
  • Family: Poaceae
• Strongly flattened spikelet
  • Fringed ligule
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=16227

Bromus diandrus

Ripgut Brome

• • Annual, Exotic
• Family: Poaceae
• Long lemma with back rounded teeth, long awns
• 
  Spikelets not flattened
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=16235

Photos: ©2004 Carol W. Witham; ©2009 Thomas Stoughton; ©1995 Saint Mary’s College of California

Bromus hordeaceus

Soft Chess, Soft Brome

• • Annual, Exotic
• Family: Poaceae
• AKA Bromus mollis
• Soft hairs on leaves and

glumes

• Sheath closed near to top
  • Spikelets not flattened
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=16244

Cortaderia jubata

Purple Pampas Grass; Andean Pampas Grass

• • Perennial, Exotic

• • • Family: Poaceae
• Inflorescence violet becoming dull brown
• Reproduces asexually
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=20427

Cortaderia selloana

Uruguayan Pampas Grass

• • Perennial, Exotic
    • Family: Poaceae
• Leaves are blue-green on top, dark green on underside
  • Reproduces sexually
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=20429

Cynodon dactylon

Bermuda Grass

• • Perennial, Exotic
    • Family Poaceae
• Fuzzy white ligules
  • Creeping
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=21743

Cynosurus echinatus

Annual Dogtail Grass

• • Annual, Exotic
• Family: Poaceae
• Inflorescence occurs more or

less on one side

• • Basal portion of membranous ligule attached

to leaf

• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=21767

Elymus glaucus

Blue Wild Rye

• • Perennial,

Native

• Family: Poaceae
• https://ucjeps.berk eley.edu/eflora/eflo ra_display.php?tid=

24107

Elymus triticoides

Beardless Wild Rye

• Formerly Leymus triticoides
  • Perennial, Native
    • Family: Poaceae
      • Fuzzy nodes
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=24181

Festuca arundinacea

Tall Fescue

• • Perennial, Exotic
    • Family: Poaceae
      • Clasping stem
      • Ribbed leaves
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=25783

Festuca californica

California Fescue

• • Perennial, Native
    • Family: Poaceae
• https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu

/eflora/eflora_display.php?t

id=25791

Festuca perennis

Italian Rye Grass

• Formerly Lolium multiflorum
  • Perennial, Exotic
    • Family: Poaceae
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=91964

Holcus lanatus

Velvet Grass

• • Perennial, Exotic
    • Family: Poaceae
• Soft fuzzy stems and leaves; “candy stripe” at base of

stem

• • Jagged ligule
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=28335

Hordeum murinum

Foxtail Barley

• • Annual, Exotic
• Family: Poaceae
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=28392

Phalaris aquatica

Harding Grass

• • Perennial, Exotic
    • Family: Poaceae
    • Tall bunch grass
• Long papery ligule
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=37601

Poa annua

Annual Bluegrass

• • Annual, Exotic
• Family: Poaceae
• A small grass with lacy

infloresence

• • Often occurs in foot-

paths

• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/c gi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=38787

Polypogon monspeliensis

Rabbitsfoot Grass

• • Annual, Exotic
• Family: Poaceae
• Big soft fuzzy infloresence
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=39378

Festuca bromoidies

Brome Fescue

• Formerly Vulpia bromoides
  • Perennial, Exotic
    • Family: Poaceae
• http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi- bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=25855