Forage Grass Seed Identification Presented by Mary Anne

Forage Grass Seed Identification Presented by Mary Anne Anderson June 13, 2007

Coaching an Agronomy Team ¢ ¢ ¢ Teach Identification First Start with Basic Anatomy Teach seeds which look alike to avoid confusion l Ex. Crested and Intermediate Wheatgrass

Awn Lemma Palea Rachilla Forage Grass Seed External Anatomy

Timothy Phleum pratense ¢ ¢ small, rounded shape pale brown seed with tan hull may or may not have lemma and palea attached 1 - 2 mm

Kentucky Bluegrass Poa pratensis l l darker straw color small grass, 2 - 3 mm

Orchardgrass Dactylis glomerata l light straw color l boat shaped palea edge l fuzz on lemma l 4 - 6 mm

Tall Fescue Schedonorus phoenix ¢ rachilla is golf tee shape ¢ sides of seed are slightly curved ¢ 5 - 7 mm

Crested Wheatgrass Agropyron cristatum ¢ palea sides are parallel ¢ edges barbed ¢ short awns

Intermediate Wheatgrass Elytrigia intermedia ¢ 9 -12 mm ¢ palea boat-shaped ¢ palea edges smooth

Green Needlegrass Nassella viridula ¢ pale, yellow/green and brown seeds ¢ awns may be present, > 5 mm ¢ lemma spin clearly visible

Bluebunch Wheatgrass Agropyron spicatum ¢ tips of lemma (away from rachilla) are frayed ¢ short awns may be present ¢ most seed ends look like they have run through a paper shredder

Smooth Brome Bromus inermis ¢ lemma wrinkled ¢ flattened seed ¢ large seed ¢ brown shades

Reed Canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea ¢ seed coat shiny ¢ pale, light brown and yellow/green seeds ¢ tear drop shaped

Creeping Foxtail Alopecurus arundinaceus ¢ strong V in the end of lemma ¢ seed color varying shades of grey ¢ seed coat edges fuzzy

Quackgrass Elytrigia repens ¢ large seed (815 mm) ¢ divot in rachilla clearly visible ¢ biggest grass seed on the state list

Cheatgrass Bromus tectorum ¢ ¢ long awns nasty, brown or yellow/brown seeds large seeds messy sample

For additional information: ¢ USDA Plant Database http: //plants. usda. gov/index. html ¢ The Ohio State University Seed Id. Workshop http: //www. oardc. ohio-state. edu/seedid/ ¢ University of Kentucky Agripedia http: //www. ca. uky. edu/agripedia/Agmania/SEEDID/