Darnel
Lolium temulentum
Family: Poaceae
What it is like
A stiff short annual grass. It usually forms tufts and has erect stems. The leaves are alternate and in two ranks. The leaves are green and the blades are 3-13 mm wide. The flowers are in erect spikes. They are somewhat zigzag between the spikelets. The spikelets are 8-28 mm long.
There are about 8 Lolium species. They are temperate.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in waste and fallow ground. In Argentina it grows below 700 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan Africa, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Central Asia, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hawaii, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, South America, Spain, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Tibet, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The seeds have been eaten. CAUTION: Sometimes a poisonous fungus (Endoconidium temulentum) affects the grains.
Edible parts
Seeds, cereal
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed.
Its other names
Local names
Ballico, Cizana, Delice cim, Drake, Mochni, Mostaki