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Species
Anthoxanthum odoratum L.
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM can be distinguished from other grass species by its perennial habit and sweet, vanilla scent, especially when dry.
Anthoxanthum odoratum, known as sweet vernal grass, holy grass, vanilla grass or buffalo grass, is a short-lived grass found wild in acidic grasslands in Eurasia. It is also grown as a lawn grass and a house plant, due to its sweet scent, and can also be found on unimproved pastures and meadows. Odoratum is Latin for "smell as well".
It does not grow well in very dry or waterlogged soil.
This 'buffalo' variety is not the species commonly known as 'buffalo' in Australia.
Description[edit]
This grass grows in tufts. It can grow up to 100 cm.
The stems are 25–40 centimetres (9.8–15.7 in) tall, with short but broad green leaves 3–5 millimetres (0.12–0.20 in) wide, which are slightly hairy. It flowers from April until June, i.e. quite early in the season, with flower spikes of 4–6 centimetres (1.6–2.4 in) long and crowded spikelets of 6–10 millimetres (0.24–0.39 in), oblong shaped, which can be quite dark when young. The lower lemmas have projecting awns.
The ligules are quite long, up to 5mm, blunt, with hairy fringes around the side.
The scent is particularly strong when dried, and is due to coumarin, a glycoside, and benzoic acid – it smells like fresh hay with a hint of vanilla. The seed head is bright yellow in colour.[1]
Cultivation[edit]
It is grown by scattering seed on tilled ground in the spring through fall, germinating in 4 to 5 days. It prefers sandy loam and acidic conditions (a low pH).
As an agricultural grass it has a low yield, but can grow on land too acidic for other grasses.
Gallery[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ BSBI Description retrieved 10 December 2010.
References[edit]
- Pink, A. (2004). Gardening for the Million.. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anthoxanthum_odoratum&oldid=624404213 |
Global Range: It ranges from northern Florida to southern Canada along the East Coast and west to the Mississippi River flood plain. It also occurs from northern California to Vancouver Island, Canada (Hitchcock 1971, Grant and Antonovics 1978). It was introduced to North America from Europe in the late 1700s as a meadow grass and has since escaped cultivation (Munz and Keck 1973, Grant and Antonovics 1978).
Crece en pastizales y áreas alteradas de sitios muy húmedos.
Jiangxi, Taiwan (introduced), Xinjiang, NE China [Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia; Europe].
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200024834 |
In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
Blumeria graminis parasitises live Anthoxanthum odoratum
Foodplant / parasite
Sphacelia anamorph of Claviceps purpurea parasitises inflorescence of Anthoxanthum odoratum
Remarks: season: 7
Foodplant / parasite
colony of Drechslera dematiaceous anamorph of Drechslera dematioidea parasitises live Anthoxanthum odoratum
Foodplant / gall
stroma of Epichlo causes gall of stem of Anthoxanthum odoratum
Foodplant / saprobe
pycnidium of Hendersonia coelomycetous anamorph of Phaeosphaeria vagans is saprobic on dead stem of Anthoxanthum odoratum
Foodplant / parasite
hypophyllous, long covered by epidermis telium of Puccinia brachypodii var. poae-nemoralis parasitises live leaf of Anthoxanthum odoratum
Other: minor host/prey
Foodplant / parasite
linear telium of Puccinia graminis ssp. graminicola parasitises live sheath of Anthoxanthum odoratum
Other: minor host/prey
Foodplant / pathogen
embedded sorus of Tilletia anthoxanthi infects and damages live ovary of Anthoxanthum odoratum
Foodplant / gall
Tylenchus devastatrix causes gall of stem of Anthoxanthum odoratum
Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Typhula incarnata is saprobic on dying stem of Anthoxanthum odoratum
Distribucion en Costa Rica: Se encuentra en la Cordillera Volcánica Central, Cordillera de Talamanca y sus estribaciones, cerros de Escazú y cerros de Caraigres. Elevación: de 2000 a 3450 m.
Distribucion General: Originaria de Eurasia, introducida en América.
GROWTH AND COMPETITION
When grown with other common pasture grasses, ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM is highly competitive. In a North Carolina study, it generally dominated mixtures that included PLANTAGO LANCEOLATA, POA PRATENSIS, SALVIA LYRATA, and RUMEX ACETOSELLA (Fowler 1982).
In a study of competition with LOLIUM PERENNE, DACTYLIS GLOMERATA, and HOLCUS LANATUS (Remison and Snaydon 1978), sweet vernal grass proved highly competitive in the early spring due to its rapid growth and early flowering. Later in the summer it declines in aggressiveness. Among these species, sweet vernal grass is the most highly competitive for potassium (Remison and Snaydon 1978). A Dutch study revealed similar results (Berendse 1983). Even at low densities, competition between ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM and PLANTAGO LANCEOLATA is very strong. ANTHOXANTHUM's competitive ability is highest in early spring.
In competition experiments (Remison 1978) with HOLCUS LANATUS and DACTYLIS GLOMERATA, ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM had the lowest yield, especially at low densities. It proved most competitive at intermediate densities. Again, however, sweet vernal grass was most competitive early in the growing season, due to its rapid spring growth.
ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM roots are quite shallow, absorbing nutrients mainly from the upper 10 cm of soil (Berendse 1982). It commonly occurs on soils that are low in phosphorus (Roberts 1982). On fertilized soils, sweet vernal grass develops a dense surface root mat (Remison and Snaydon 1978). Although ANTHOXANTHUM tillers profusely, its poor root growth reduces its competitive ability (Remison 1978). The ratio of roots to shoots is therefore quite low at 0.(55) (Remison and Snaydon 1978).
In mixed species plots, intraspecific competition is more important than interspecific competition (Berendse 1983). Like many other grasses, sweet vernal grass contains allelopathic chemicals that suppress the growth of other plant species (Scott 1975). It is "allo-inhibited," growing better with exudate from its own and similar species in permanent grasslands (Newman and Rovira 1975).
The decomposing roots of ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM have an effect opposite that of the allelopathic leachate. Old roots appear to enhance the growth of other grass species, while decreasing the growth of new ANTHOXANTHUM plants. Phosphorus content in the roots averaged 0.155%, a relatively high level. This is probably one of the factors leading to the increased growth of other species on sites with decomposing sweet vernal grass roots (Newberry 1979).
ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM plants average 3.5 leaves per shoot. The individual leaves are unusually short-lived, with a mean survival of only 19 days. Only a few leaves survive for three months. This rapid turnover of leaves is probably a reflection of the plant's rapid growth rate (Sydes 1984).
POPULATION DYNAMICS
The biology of ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM populations is complex and depends upon the particular habitat. Different character complexes are favored by different habitat types leading to substantial phenetic differences between ecologically marginal and central populations. Ecologically marginal populations have higher turnover rates than central ones. Individual life expectancy is shorter in marginal populations, while central populations contain a skewed age distribution in favor of older individuals, making them potentially less stable (Grant and Antonovics 1978).
In response to contrasting environments, sweet vernal grass can rapidly differentiate, even without geographic barriers. In one study (Kiang 1982), significant differences in morphology, flowering date, and pollen fertility developed in less than 40 years. Such differences among populations were genetic adaptations to contrasting soil environments. Similar results are reported by Snaydon and Davies (1972, 1976) for populations at distances of less than 30 m apart.
When environmental boundaries are distinct, ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM populations can exhibit sharp differences. Plants growing only 0.1 m apart across a sharp environmental boundary that had existed for less than 120 years showed significant differences in height, yield, flowering date, and morphology (Snaydon and Davies 1976).
Localidad del tipo:
Depositario del tipo: LT: LINN
Recolector del tipo: Anon.
Persistence: PERENNIAL