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Holcus lanatus (L.) |
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Graminae |
Author: Alain Peeters |
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Yorkshire fog (English), Houlque laineuse or Houlque velue (French), Wolliges honiggras (German). Perennial plant, medium size, densely and softly hairy, cespitous, rhizome-less. Stems erect, 20 - 80 cm high. Blade rolled when young, large, floppy with dense but short and soft hairs, yellowish green. Sheath of inferior leaves striated by purplish-red vertical lines. Ligule short, hairy, truncated. No auricles. Inflorescence in panicle, dense or spreading, of variable colour (whitish, pinky-white, reddish), 10 - 20 em long. Spikelets 2-flowered, inferior flower fertile, superior only male, 4 - 5 min long. The weight of 1000 seeds is 0.3 to 0.4 g (small seeds). Chromosome number: 2n = 14 (diploid). Few climate requirements but particularly abundant in oceanic climates. Can suffer from frost in winter. Large range for soil humidity. Can develop important populations on dry sands but optimum on cool and humid soils, even boggy ones. Large range for nutrient availability. Can grow on very poor soils but produces much more on rich soils. Large range also for pH but optimum on moderately to slightly acid soils. Thrives on all texture types. Frequent on peat soils. Native to Europe, West and East Asia, North Africa and North America. Has become subcosmopolitan especially in temperate regions. From the lowlands to alpine levels in mountain areas. |