Holcus lanatus
L. Yorkshire FogTufted perennial, culms erect, to 1m high. Leaves covered with velvety hairs (rarely nearly glabrous) and appearing greyish; blade to 25 cm long and 3–10 mm wide; ligule truncate, 1–4 mm long. Inflorescence a moderately dense, narrowly ovate panicle, 3–20 cm long, pinkish when young. Spikelets 2-flowered, 4–6 mm long; glumes subequal, enclosing florets, papery, with short hairs along nerves, the upper sometimes with a fine, subapical awn to 1 mm long; lemma of lower floret 2–2.5 mm long, awnless, upper lemma slightly shorter and with a strongly hooked subapical awn 1–1.5 mm long. Flowers mainly Aug.–Dec.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Naturalized in all States except NT. Indigenous in north-western Africa, Europe and temperate Asia, but widely naturalised in other temperate zones (e.g. the Americas, southern Africa, New Zealand). A common weed of wasteland, roadsides and wetter pasture throughout most of the State, but not in the far north-west. Occasionally invading native plant communities following disturbance.
Walsh, N.G. (1994). Poaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 356–627. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
