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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 Ex. Crested and Intermediate Wheatgrass. Forage Grass Seed External Anatomy. Awn.
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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 • Ex. Crested and Intermediate Wheatgrass
Forage Grass Seed External Anatomy Awn Lemma Palea Rachilla
TimothyPhleumpratense • small, rounded shape • pale brown seed with tan hull • may or may not have lemma and palea attached • 1 - 2 mm
Kentucky BluegrassPoapratensis • darker straw color • small grass, 2 - 3 mm
OrchardgrassDactylisglomerata • light straw color • boat shaped palea edge • fuzz on lemma • 4 - 6 mm
Tall FescueSchedonorusphoenix • rachilla is golf tee shape • sides of seed are slightly curved • 5 - 7 mm
Crested WheatgrassAgropyroncristatum • palea sides are parallel • edges barbed • short awns
Intermediate WheatgrassElytrigia intermedia • 9-12 mm • palea boat-shaped • palea edges smooth
Green NeedlegrassNassella viridula • pale, yellow/green and brown seeds • awns may be present, > 5mm • lemma spin clearly visible
Bluebunch WheatgrassAgropyronspicatum • 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 BromeBromus inermis • lemma wrinkled • flattened seed • large seed • brown shades
Reed CanarygrassPhalaris arundinacea • seed coat shiny • pale, light brown and yellow/green seeds • tear drop shaped
Creeping FoxtailAlopecurusarundinaceus • strong V in the end of lemma • seed color varying shades of grey • seed coat edges fuzzy
QuackgrassElytrigia repens • large seed (8-15 mm) • divot in rachilla clearly visible • biggest grass seed on the state list
CheatgrassBromustectorum • 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/