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• Dichotomous Key
• Poaceae
• Poaceae Group 3
• Holcus
• Holcus lanatus

Holcus lanatus — common velvet grass

Facts

Common velvet grass is native to Eurasia and northwest Africa, and introduced in both eastern and western North America. It is found in all New England states.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Anther length

  1.2–2.5 mm

  Anther number

  3

  Awn on glume

  • the glume has an awn
  • the glume has no awn

  Floret lower bract texture

  the lemma is thin and flexible

  Glume relative length

  one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets

  Glume veins

  • 1
  • 3

  Inflorescence arrangement

  the spikelets are uniform

  Inflorescence axis orientation

  the inflorescence axis is straight

  Inflorescence branches

  the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence

  Inflorescence type (general)

  the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches

  Inflorescence type (specific)

  the inflorescence is branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes

  Inforescence position

  the spikelets are mainly carried at the end of the stem

  Lemma awn base

  • NA
  • the awn is attached at the upper half of the lemma

  Lemma awn length

  0–2 mm

  Lemma awn number

  • the lemma has no awn
  • the lemma has one awn on it

  Lemma awn orientation

  the awn of the lemma on dried or older plants is curved or bent outwards

  Lemma cross-section

  the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint

  Lemma surface

  the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)

  Lemma vein number

  • 3
  • 5

  One or more florets

  there is more than one floret per spikelet

  Palea relative length

  palea is one half to fully as long as lemma

  Spikelet length

  3–6 mm

  Spikelets spiny

  the spikelets do not appear spiny

• Growth form

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

  Roots

  there are only slender roots on the plant

• Leaves

  Leaf auricles

  the leaves do not have auricles

  Leaf blade width

  3–10 mm

  Leaf ligule length

  1–4 mm

  Leaf ligule type

  the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane with fine hairs

  Leaf sheath closed around stem

  the margins of the leaf sheath are overlapping and not fused together except in the basal half (or less)

  Leaf sheath hair type

  there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases

  Leaf sheath hairs

  there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Stem hairs

  the stem has hairs on it

  Stem spacing

  the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts

Wetland status

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae