Briza media L.

Graminae

Synonyms

Common names

Common quacking grass or totter grass (English), Amourette commune (French), Gewohnliches zittergras (German).

Description

Perennial plant, small size, hairless, tuft with short stolons. Stems 10 - 60 cm high. Blade rolled when young, large, rough (rub from the top to the bottom). Ligule short (0.5 - 1.5 mm), rounded or truncate on the top. No auricles. Panicle-like inflorescence, very characteristic, spreading, pyramidal. Spikelets 5 - 9 - flowered, hanging, very easily swayed by wind, ovate to sub-orbicular (heart shaped), 4 - 7 mm long. The weight of 1000 seeds is 0.40 g to 0.64 g (small seeds). Chromosome number: 2n = 14 ou 28.

Temperature

Large climate range. Good resistance to cold.

Water

Good resistance to drought.

Soil

Optimum on dry soils. Only on nutrient poor soils, especially in phosphorus. Double optimum for pH, either on very acid soil, either on basic soils. Encountered on a large range of soil texture.

Distribution

Native to Europe and West Asia. From the lowlands up to more than 2000 rn in the Alps.

References