Poaceae FAMILY

Vulpia myuros

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Vulpia myuros is an annual grass with one to a few, erect to ascending culms 10 - 70cm tall. On very poor soils the plant may flower and set seed when only 3 - 5cm tall[ 1050 Title Fire Effects Information System Publication Author Website http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants ]. The plant is often used to provide cover for the soil and prevent erosion and to revegetate toxic mine-spill sites where very little else will grow. Vulpia myuros can be very invasive, especially in Mediterranean climates where it outcompetes native species in grasslands and is a significant agricultural weed. It forms dense swards and its shallow roots suppress growth of native grasses and forbs. Establishment of native plants is strongly hindered once it has become dominant; because it is a winter-annual, it grows rapidly in early spring, thus successfully competing with the slower-growing native perennial grasses. It is a problem weed in pastures and in direct-seed cropping systems. Infested hay can cause injury to livestock due to the sharp seeds. Residues of degrading plants affect growth of other species including crops[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ]. Like most invasive Mediterranean annual grasses, it has seed appendages that aid in long-distance dispersal. With its long awns, the seed can easily catch on objects and travel long distances. The long seed awns easily catch on hairs or feathers. Animals or water may disperse seed long distances[ 1050 Title Fire Effects Information System Publication Author Website http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeEurasia - Britain to Portugal, east through the Caucasus to C. Asia, through Turkey to the Levant and India; N. Africa - Morocco to Egypt, Ethiopia

HabitatSandy places and on walls[ 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ]. In its native range, the plant commonly grows in dry ruderal sites, on sand and gravel banks, roadsides and embankments, and in old fields, usually on acidic soils[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ].