Quackgrass
September 4, 2015
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EmailElymus repens (L.) Gould
Life cycle
Erect, rhizomatous perennial.
Patch of quackgrass.
Leaves
Leaves are rolled in the bud, hairless to sparsely hairy above and up to 8 inches long. Leaf sheaths are hairless except those near the base, which may be sparsely hairy. Clasping, claw-like auricles are present at the collar region.
Ligule
Very short, membranous ligule.
Stems
Erect and clump-forming, up to 4 feet tall. Plants spread by thin, yellowish to white, sharp-tipped rhizomes.
Sharp-tipped rhizome of quackgrass.
Flowers and fruit
The seedhead is a two- to 10-inch-long, slender, unbranched spike made up of several alternating spikelets arranged edgewise on the stem. Each spikelet contains up to eight straw-colored, lance-shaped seeds. Each seed has a short to prominent awn.
Quackgrass seedhead.
Reproduction
Seeds and rhizomes.
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