Annual ryegrass, Wimmera ryegrass
Lolium rigidum
Family: Poaceae
What it is like
An annual grass. It is less than 30 cm high. The stems are reddish in colour. It produces both flowering and non flowering shoots. The leaves are flat and 20 cm long. They are 8 mm wide and hairless. The flowers are in spikes that are shorter than the stems. There are 3-11 florets per spikelet. The spikes are open at maturity.
There are about 8 Lolium species. They are temperate.
Where it is found
A Mediterranean or temperate plant. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 180-500 mm. It can grow in arid places. It is moderately salt tolerant.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Chile, China, Cyprus, Egypt, Europe, France, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, North Africa, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, St Helena, Switzerland, Syria, Tasmania, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, UAE, West Africa, Yemen, Yugoslavia
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Shoots
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed.
Its other names
Local names
Hayban
Synonyms
Lolium strictum C. Presl.;