Forage Grass Seed Identification Presented by Mary Anne Anderson June 13, 2007

Coaching an Agronomy Team Teach Identification First Start with Basic Anatomy Teach seeds which look alike to avoid confusion Ex. Crested and Intermediate Wheatgrass

Forage Grass Seed External Anatomy Awn Lemma Palea Rachilla

Timothy Phleum pratense small, rounded shape pale brown seed with tan hull may or may not have lemma and palea attached 1 - 2 mm

Kentucky Bluegrass Poa pratensis darker straw color small grass, 2 - 3 mm

Orchardgrass Dactylis glomerata light straw color boat shaped palea edge fuzz on lemma 4 - 6 mm

Tall Fescue Schedonorus phoenix rachilla is golf tee shape sides of seed are slightly curved 5 - 7 mm

Crested Wheatgrass Agropyron cristatum palea sides are parallel edges barbed short awns

Intermediate Wheatgrass Elytrigia intermedia 9-12 mm palea boat-shaped palea edges smooth

Green Needlegrass Nassella viridula pale, yellow/green and brown seeds awns may be present, > 5mm lemma spin clearly visible

Bluebunch Wheatgrass Agropyron spicatum tips of lemma (away from rachilla) are frayed short awns may be present most seed ends look like they have run through a paper shredder

Smooth Brome Bromus inermis lemma wrinkled flattened seed large seed brown shades

Reed Canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea seed coat shiny pale, light brown and yellow/green seeds tear drop shaped

Creeping Foxtail Alopecurus arundinaceus strong V in the end of lemma seed color varying shades of grey seed coat edges fuzzy

Quackgrass Elytrigia repens large seed (8-15 mm) divot in rachilla clearly visible biggest grass seed on the state list

Cheatgrass Bromus tectorum long awns nasty, brown or yellow/brown seeds large seeds messy sample

For additional information: USDA Plant Database http://plants.usda.gov/index.html The Ohio State University Seed Id. Workshop http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/seedid/ University of Kentucky Agripedia http://www.ca.uky.edu/agripedia/Agmania/SEEDID/