Perennial ryegrass, English ryegrass
Lolium perenne
Family: Poaceae
What it is like
A grass which keeps growing from year to year. It grows 90 cm high. It produces both flowering and non flowering shoots. The base of the leaf sheaths is green or purplish. The midrib is easy to see. The leaf blade is usually 1 cm long by 2-4 mm wide. The lower surface is dark green and shiny. The flowers are in slightly curved spikes. These can be 15 cm long.
There are about 8 Lolium species. They are temperate.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It is a pasture grass. It grows in high rainfall areas. It suits hardiness zones 5-10.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Africa, Alaska, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Canary Is., Caucasus, Central Asia, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Europe, Falklands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, North Africa, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Siberia, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The stems are chewed as a snack. The seeds are used as a meal and to make alcoholic drinks.
Edible parts
Seeds, cereal, stems
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed.
Its other names
Local names
Angleška ljulka, Fu