Index using Common Names

Grasses

Grasses are the largest family and most diverse of the three groups.

These are the grasses on the site in order of common names. They all appear in the main index by scientific name.

Annual Beard-grass Polypogon monspeliensis

Barley Hordeum and Hordelymus species

Beard-grass Polypogon monspeliensis

Bents Agrostis species

Black Grass Alopecurus species

Bread Wheat Triticum aestivum

Bristle-grasses Setaria species

Bromes Bromopsis, brachypodium and Anisantha

Canary-grasses Phalaris species

Cocksfoot Dactylis glomerata

Common Reed Phragmites australis

Couches Elytrigia and Elymus species

Crested Dog's-tail Cynosurus cristatus

Dog's-tail Cynosurus cristatus

False Brome Bromopsis, brachypodium and Anisantha

False Oat-grass Arrhenatherum elatius

Fern-grasses Catapodium species

Fescues Festuca, Schedonorus and Vulpia

Finger-grass Digitaria sanguinalis

Foxtails Alopecurus species

Hair-grasses Aira species

Hair-grasses Avenella

Hair-grasses Deschampsia

Hairy Finger-grass Digitaria sanguinalis

Heath-grass Danthonia decumbens

Loose Silky-bent Apera spica-venti

Meadow-grasses Poa species

Mellick Melica uniflora

Moor-grass Molinia caerulea

Oat-grass and Oats Avenula and Avena species

Pheasant's-tail Anemanthele lessoniana

Purple Moor-grass Molinia caerulea

Reed Phragmites australis

Rye-grasses Lolium species

Soft-grasses Holcus species

Sweet Vernal Grass Anthoxanthum odoratum

Sweet-grasses Glyceria species

Timothy Grass Phleum species

Vernal Grass Anthoxanthum odoratum

Wall Barley Hordeum and Hordelymus species

Wheat Triticum aestivum

Whorl-grass - Catabrosa aquatica

Wind-grass Apera spica-venti

Wood Mellick Melica uniflora

Rushes

Rushes look similar to grasses and sedges, but are closer in structure to a distant relative, Lilies. They have 3 of everything or a multiple. So the have 3 stigmas, 6 or 3 stamens. There are usually 3 ‘petals’ and 3 ‘sepals’ which are both similar and brown and inconspicuous. They are called tepals.

There are two families, the True Rushes (Juncus) these have round stems and are hairless and the Wood-rushes (Luzula) which have hairy leaves, at least on the edges.

All species appear in the main index by scientific name.

Sedges

Sedges are easily confused with grasses, however their stems are usually solid and unjointed and the leaves are in 3 ranks up the stems which is clearer if you look down the stem from the top. The true sedges (Carex) usually have a clearly triangular stem.

There are many sedges are confirmation of species is requires looking at a written description and cannot usually be done from photographs without a lot of experience. So the website includes some, but not all of this fascinating family.

All species appear in the main index by their scientific name.