Grasses, sedges, rushes & similar plants

Common Thatching-grass Buffel-grass Sharp Rush Giant Reed





Rushes - Juncaceae

Sharp Rush      Juncus acutus

Native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean Region, including the Canary Islands. Occasional in damp places along barrancos.

Sharp Rush Sharp Rush Sharp Rush Sharp Rush
Habit
Habit
Stem tip
Flowers
Sharp Rush Sharp Rush Sharp Rush
Flowers
Flowers
Seed capsules


Sedges - Cyperaceae

Smooth Flat-sedge      Cyperus laevigatus

Found throughout the world's tropical and subtropical regions. Forms patches in damp places along barrancos.

Smooth Flat-sedge Smooth Flat-sedge Smooth Flat-sedge Smooth Flat-sedge
Habit
Flower spike
Flower spike
Flower spike


Grasses - Poaceae

Mediterranean Needle-grass      Stipellula capensis

Native in the tropics and sub-tropics of North Africa, India and the Middle East. Probably native in the Canary Islands on rough and disturbed ground.

Mediterranean Needle-grass Mediterranean Needle-grass Mediterranean Needle-grass Mediterranean Needle-grass
Habit
Flower spike
Flower spike
Flower spike
Mediterranean Needle-grass Mediterranean Needle-grass Mediterranean Needle-grass Mediterranean Needle-grass
Flower spikelets
Spikelet detail
Spikelet detail
Leaf ligule


Smilo-grass      Oloptum miliaceum

Found throughout the world's tropical and subtropical regions. Forms patches in damp places along barrancos.

Smilo-grass Smilo-grass Smilo-grass Smilo-grass
Habit
Early flower spike
Early flower spike
Flower spike branchlets
Smilo-grass Smilo-grass Smilo-grass Smilo-grass
Late spikelets
Late spikelets
Leaf upperside
Leaf ligule


Slender Oat      Avena barbata

Native from the Canary Islands eastward, through the Mediterranean Region and Middle East to northern India.

Slender Oat Slender Oat Slender Oat Slender Oat
Habit
Habit
Early flower spikes
Floret
Slender Oat Slender Oat Slender Oat Slender Oat
Floret hairs
Leaf ligule
Old floret
Old florets


Lesser Canary-grass      Phalaris minor

Native from the Canary Islands eastward, through the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East to India.

Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass
Early flower spike
Flowering spike
Flowering spike
Spikelets
Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass
Spikelets
Leaf sheath
Leaf ligule
Leaf ligule


Perennial Rye-grass      Lolium perenne

Native from Macaronesia and North-west Africa through all of Europe and much of the Middle East to Central Asia and Central Siberia. Commonly grown for amenity purposes.

Perennial Rye-grass Perennial Rye-grass Perennial Rye-grass Perennial Rye-grass
Early flower spike
Early spikelets
Early spikelets
Flowering spikelets
Perennial Rye-grass Perennial Rye-grass Perennial Rye-grass Perennial Rye-grass
Creeping rhizomes
Leaf upperside
Leaf underside
Leaf ligule


Golden Dog's-tail      Lamarckia aurea

Native from the Canary Islands and eastward through the Mediterranean basin to Ethiopia and northern India.

Golden Dog's-tail Golden Dog's-tail Golden Dog's-tail Golden Dog's-tail
Habit
Early flower spike
Flowering spikes
Flowering spike
Golden Dog's-tail Golden Dog's-tail Golden Dog's-tail Golden Dog's-tail
Flower spike
Spikelets
Spikelets
Leaf ligule


Adherent Bristle-grass      Setaria adhaerens

Native in the tropics and sub-tropics of Africa, India and the Middle East. Probably introduced in the Canary Islands on rough and disturbed ground. Closely resembles Rough Bristle-grass Setaria verticillata but averages smaller flower spikelets and has hairless leaf sheaths.

Adherent Bristle-grass Adherent Bristle-grass Adherent Bristle-grass Adherent Bristle-grass
Habit
Flower spike
Flower spikelets
Leaf ligule


Buffel-grass      Cenchrus ciliaris

Native in the tropics and sub-tropics of Africa, India and the Middle East. Probably native in the Canary Islands on rough and disturbed ground.

Buffel-grass Buffel-grass Buffel-grass Buffel-grass
Habit
Flower spike
Flower spike
Flower spikelets
Buffel-grass Buffel-grass Buffel-grass Buffel-grass
Late flower spikelets
Basal leaves
Stem leaf
Leaf base


Common Thatching-grass      Hyparrhenia hirta

Native throughout Africa, the Mediterranean region and Middle East, including the Canary Islands.

Common Thatching-grass Common Thatching-grass Common Thatching-grass Common Thatching-grass
Habit
Flower spike
Flower spike
Florets
Common Thatching-grass Common Thatching-grass Common Thatching-grass Common Thatching-grass
Basal leaves
Leaf base and stem
Leaf base
Leaf ligule


Giant Reed      Arundo donax

Native in the Middle East, eastward to South-east Asia. Widely planted elsewhere as a screen and shelter belt and often spreading along watercourses and barrancos as an invasive alien, forming thickets of canes to 6m in height.

Giant Reed Giant Reed Giant Reed Giant Reed
Habit
Habit
Flower spike
Flower spike
Giant Reed Giant Reed Giant Reed Giant Reed
Flower spikelets
Flowering spikelets
Leaves and stem
Emerging shoot


Common Reed      Phragmites australis

Found throughout much of the world as a dominant grass of wetland habitats. Scarce in Fuerteventura due to a shortage of suitable habitat.

Common Reed Common Reed Common Reed Common Reed
Habit
Habit
Early spike
Early spike
Common Reed Common Reed Common Reed Common Reed
Flowering spikelets
Seeding spike
Leaves
Leaf ligules


Bermuda-grass      Cynodon dactylon

Found throughout the world and probably native to the warm temperate and tropical Old World regions.

Bermuda-grass Bermuda-grass Bermuda-grass Bermuda-grass
Habit
Flowering spike
Flowering spike
Flowering spikelets
Bermuda-grass Bermuda-grass Bermuda-grass Bermuda-grass
Stem and leaf bases
Creeping stem and leaves
Leaves
Leaf ligule and stem


Indian Wire-grass      Eleusine indica

(Yard-grass) Native to sub-saharan Africa, through the Middle East to South-east Asia. Widely introduced elsewhere as a weed of well-trodden places.

Indian Wire-grass Indian Wire-grass Indian Wire-grass Indian Wire-grass
Flower spike
Flower spike
Flowering spike
Flowering spikelets
Indian Wire-grass Indian Wire-grass Indian Wire-grass Indian Wire-grass
Flowering spikelets
Back of flower spike
Leaf base and stem
Leaf base and stem