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)