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Plant Identification
ANSC 110
September 7, 2010
What Defines a “Good” Pasture Species?
Palatable*
Nutritious
Dense growing
Hearty (recovers well)
Tolerant to climatic extremes
Resistant to pests
Forage Classification
GRASSES
Perennials
Cool Season
Warm Season
Annuals
Cool Season
Warm Season
LEGUMES
Perennials
Cool Season
Warm Season
Annuals
Cool Season
Warm Season
Plant Vocabulary
Grass: monocots (one seed leaf) herbaceous plant parallel leaf veins fibrous root system bear seed on an elongated seed stalk
Legume: dicots (two seed leaves) “netted” leaf veins usually have a taproot produce seed in a pod nitrogen fixation
Grass or Legume?
http://aggie-turf.tamu.edu/aggieturf2/grasswee/grasses/kblue.htmhttp://forages.oregonstate.edu/media_library/alfalfa/screen/39.jpg
Plant Vocabulary
Annual: A plant that germinates, grows, reproduces, and dies in one growing season
Perennial: A plant that has the ability to live for more than one year
Biennials – weak perennials that usually die after the second growing season
Plant Vocabulary
Warm Season Plants: plants that begin growth and/or are planted in the spring or early summer and do most of their growth during the warmest part of the year
Cool Season Plants: plants that begin growth and/or are planted in the fall or early spring and do most of their growth during the coolest months of the year (except during winter)
Grasses
About 40 species commonly used for pastures
Monocots (monocotyledons)
Identification: Parts of the plant
Inflorescence
Root system
Color
Growth habit
Grasses – Plant Parts
Parts of the stem (culm) Node – solid joint of a
grass stem where leaf sheaths are attached to stem
Internode – region of the stem between the nodes
Grasses – Plant Parts
Parts of the leaf Blade – portion of leaf connected to the sheath Sheath – surrounds the stem above the node
where it is attached Collar – region at the junction of the sheath
and blade Ligule – appendage that clasps the stem
where the sheath and blade join Auricle – outgrowths from the base of the
blade
Collar Region - Ligule
Fringed/Hairy Absent Membranous Rounded
Truncated/Short Toothed TaperedPhotos © University of California, IPM project
Collar Region - Auricles
Claw-like
Rounded
Underdeveloped
Absent
Photos © University of California, IPM project
Collar Region - Sheath
Closed
Split
Overlapping
Photos © University of California, IPM project
Plant Characteristics
Inflorescence (plant head, seed, flower/fruit) Panicle – many branches Spike – unbranced axis Raceme – spikelets on one branch
Awns – appendage on ends of seeds Length, number
Types of Inflorescences
Awns
Annual RyegrassAWNS
Perennial RyegrassNO AWNS
Plant Characteristics - Roots
Root System Rhizomes
Stolons
Fibrous
Root System
Photos © University of California, IPM project
Fibrous - Rhizomes
Fibrous - Bunchgrass
Fibrous - Stolons
Taproot
Plant Characteristics - Color
http://forages.oregonstate.edu/
Bermudagrass
Orchardgrass
Plant Characteristics - Leaf growth
Folded Rolled
Common Characteristics of Some Pasture Species
GRASSES
Timothy
Phleum pratense Cool season perennial Medium height Haplocorm in mature plants Leaf blades are rolled
Gently ribbed upper, smooth under
Seedhead = compact panicle
No auricles Pointed or rounded ligule Round sheath
Timothy
Seedheads of timothy grass
Orchardgrass
Dactylis glomerata Cool season perennial Tall-growing, bunch grass No rhizomes or stolons Folded leaf blades Sheath flattened No auricles Membranous ligule Seedhead - clustered
spikelet; seeds are slightly curved
Orchardgrass
Seedheads
Folded Leaf Blades
Kentucky Bluegrass
Poa pratensis Cool season perennial Short - medium height, sod-
forming (rhizomes) Folded leaves
Boat-shaped tips Green/Dark green in
color No auricles Collar sometimes hairy Membranous ligule Seedhead - open pyramidal
panicle
Kentucky Bluegrass…
Tall Fescue
Festuca arundinacea Cool season perennial Bunchgrass (short rhizomes) Coarse, tough roots Ribbed leaves (serrated edges) Auricles blunt with fine hairs Short membranous ligule Seedhead = branched panicle
with elliptical spikelets Seeds have a short awn
Collar of tall fescue
Tall fescue…
Reed Canarygrass
Phalaris arundinacea Leaves rolled No auricles Collar may be divided Large membranous toothed
ligule, sometimes hairy on back
Wide leaf blade, smooth Seedhead - densely
flowered, spreading to narrow panicle
Reed Canarygrass
Crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis Warm season annual Reaches 2-4 ft. in height Creeping grass, long
runners Wide leaves hairy at base
Rolled leaves Stiff ligule Seedhead - 4-6 spikes at
top of stems
(Winter) Wheat
Triticum aestivum Cool season annual Rolled leaves Round, smooth split sheath Broad collar Small hairy auricles Membranous ligule Long rounded blades Seedhead - Crowded thick
spike, long awns
Wheat…
Smooth Bromegrass
Bromus inermis Cool season perennial Sod-forming (deep-rooted
rhizomes) Blades narrow No auricles Ligule – membranous,
truncate to rounded Round sheath Seedhead - Open panicle; 5
to 11 florets per spikelet 'W'-shaped constriction at approximately the midpoint of the leaf blade.
Smooth Bromegrass
Annual Ryegrass
Lolium multiflorum Cool season annual Bunch grass High palatability and
digestibility Rolled leaves, prominently
ridged on upper surface; smooth glossy and hairless on under surface
Claws on auricle Membranous ligule sometimes
with hairs Seedhead - solitary spike with
alternately arranged spikelets; seeds have awns
Annual Ryegrass
Perennial Ryegrass
Lolium perenne L. Cool season perennial Good for erosion prevention Quick to establish Undersurface of leaves is
shiny dark green leaves are folded
Inflorescence stems are nearly naked
Seedhead - spikes with spikelets growing edgewise to seedhead stem; No awns
Perennial Ryegrass
Bermudagrass
Cynodon dactylon Warm season perennial Good for erosion control (sod-
forming) May become invasive Spreads by rhizomes, stolons
and seed Stems are short-jointed Leaves are flat and spreading Leaves may be hairy or smooth Seedhead = two rows of
spikelets on finger-like spikes White collar region with sparse,
relatively long hairs
Bermudagrass
Common Characteristics of Some Pasture Species
LEGUMES
Legumes
Dicot plants Two seed-bearing leaves
Legume roots host Rhizobium bacteria Often have taproots
Trifoliate leaves Shape of leaflets Texture (hairy, shiny, etc.)
Legume – Plant Parts
Petiole – the stalk by which a leaf is attached to the stem (leafstalk)
Stipules – a pair of leaf-like outgrowths / appendages that occur at the base of the petiole
Stolons – shoot that bends to the ground or that grows horizontally above ground
Legume PlantParts
Inflorescence – Inflorescence – Legumes/Legumes/
WeedsWeeds
Alfalfa
Medicago sativa Cool-season perennial 15-25 inches tall Pinnately trifoliate leaves
arranged alternately on the stem Leaves are toothed
towards the tips Slender stipules fused to the
petiole Flowers - generally pink-
purple, but may be white or yellow
Alfalfa…
Ladino Clover
Trifolium repens Giant form of white clover Cool season perennial Spread by stolons 8-12 inches tall Tri-foliate leaves, shiny
underneath, often marked with v-shaped pattern
Flower - White ball-shape
Ladino Clover…
Red Clover
Trifolium pratense Cool season perennial Hairy leaves and stems Erect – grows 2-3 feet
tall Large leaves, prominent
v-shaped water mark Flower - pinkish-violet in
dense clusters
Red Clover…
Birdsfoot Trefoil
Crimson Clover Sericea Lespedeza
Crown Vetch
USEFUL WEBSITES
http://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/Tutorial/forindx.htm
West Virginia University – NRCS Forage Identification Slide Set
http://plants.nrcs.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=characteristics.html
USDA Plants Fact Sheets Database
Click on Fact Sheets and Plant Guides on left column
http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/forages/index.html
Purdue Forage Information (great photos!)
http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/agr/agr175/agr175.htm
Forage Identification and Use Guide (Univ. of Kentucky)