Forages

Grass Vocabulary

100

Round or flat stem, stems are leafy entire length, leaves grow in 2 directions

Grass

200

This structure is from the blade near the collar and is the junction of the sheath and leaf blade

Auricle

300

Stiff, hair-like extension on some glumes (enveloping the seedhead)

Awn

400

Near the sheath and leaf blade and aids in plant ID. May be absent, range in shape & size, or have fringe hairs

Ligule

500

Place on the stem where the leaf attaches

Node

Cool Season Grass

100

This cool season grass is the lowest yielding grass with leaves shaped like a boat

KY Bluegrass

200

This bunch type grass has poor palatability, but is extremely tolerant of high animal traffic

Tall fescue

300

Bunch-type grass that can produce open sod from profuse tillering

Orchardgrass

400

The highest yielding cool season grass; produces seedheads in the spring that mature in July

Reed Canarygrass

500

This cool season provides quick ground cover and has a relatively shallow root system

Ryegrass

Legume Vocabulary

100

New stem development that occurs underground before the new tiller emerges from the soil

Rhizome

200

Arrangement of flowers on the floral axis

Inflorescence

300

Slender modified leaflet used for support

Tendril

400

Stalk of a leaf that connects the leaf to the stem

Petiole

500

Extension of the petiole into the leaflets of a compound leaf

Petiolule

Legumes

100

This legume is widely grown for is productivity and high quality (protein)

Alfalfa

200

Only forage legume in eastern North America not known to cause bloat in ruminants

Birdsfoot trefoil

300

Commonly found in lawns and pastures; has shallow roots with prostrate growth. Adapted to close grazing.

White clover

400

This legume flowers along the entire stem and has fine, erect stems that are prone to lodging. Toxic to horses.

Alsike clover

500

This legume has shallow taproots and is tolerant of low fertility, acidic soils. Does not cause bloat.

Lespedeza

Identification

100

The leaf has parallel veins with no obviously midrib. Leaf blades are sharp.

Tall fescue

200

Leaves are oval leaflets with no serrations or chevrons. The flower is dark pink at the base fading to white at the top.

Alsike clover

300

Has a seedhead that is often confused with foxtail, except there are no bristles

Timothy

400

This plant has smooth leaves that alternate off of either side of the stem. There is a tendril at the end of the leaf.

Hairy vetch

500

The leaf blade often has an "M" constriction near the middle of the leaf

Smooth bromegrass