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Sweet Vernal-grass

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Photos of Sweet Vernal-grass

Scientific Name:Anthoxanthum odoratum
Sweet Vernal-grass in mixture of grasses
Sweet Vernal-grass in mixture of grasses
Photo: A J Brown

Status:

Native to Europe and Asia.

Plant Description:

Tufted or shortly rhizomatous perennial grass with smells of coumarin when crushed. Leaves are hairless or sparsely hairy, flat and grow to 20 cm long and 2-8 mm wide. Flower-heads are dense, spike-like panicles, 2-10 cm long. Spikelets have 3 flowers but only one is fertile. The sterile spikelets are awned; one being straight to 2-4 mm long and the other sharply bent and 6-9 mm long.

Habitat:

Common weedy species of pastures and waste ground throughout the cooler parts of the State. Often found as part of fringing vegetation around lakes and swamps and along water courses but doesn’t appear to be particularly tolerant of waterlogging. Is tolerant of acid soils.

RegionSalinity ClassWaterlogging Class
Central and Northern, Western, GippslandS0W0, W1

      Photos of Sweet Vernal-grass

      Newly emerging flower-head of Sweet Vernal-grass
      Newly emerging flower-head of Sweet Vernal-grass
      Photo: A J Brown
      Florets of Sweet Vernal-grass with exserted anthers and stigmas
      Florets of Sweet Vernal-grass with exserted anthers and stigmas
      Photo: A J Brown

      Flower-head of Sweet Vernal-grass
      Flower-head of Sweet Vernal-grass
      Photo: A J Brown

      Ligule and leaf blade of Sweet Vernal-grass
      Ligule and leaf blade of Sweet Vernal-grass
      Photo: A J Brown
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