Holcus lanatus

L. Yorkshire Fog
Sp. Pl.: 1048 (1753)
Taxonomic status Accepted
Occurrence status Present
Origin Introduced
Degree of establishment Naturalised

Tufted 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.

Source:

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.

Updated by: Daniel Ohlsen, 15 Jun. 2017
Holcus lanatus (hero image) Spinning
Holcus lanatus (distribution map) Spinning