Large Quaking-grass
Briza maxima
Slender bright green tufted grass to 0.5 cm tall. Flat broad hairless leaves to 20 cm long with rough margins
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Flora Type | Grasses |
| Other Common Names | Blowfly Grass |
| Distinctive Features | Flowerheads are plump, hanging and heart-shaped, > 10 mm long with up to twenty heads in a cluster. |
| Biology | Annual. Sandy soils and disturbed places such as track margins but also in native grasslands and woodlands. Very common and invasive introduced weed that can displace native orchids and herbs within a few years. The seeds become abundant in the soil and can regenerate profusely after autumn burning. |
| Native Status | Introduced |
| Flowering Time | Aug-Dec |
| Taxonomy | |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants) |
| Class | Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants) |
| Order | Poales |
| Family | Poaceae |
| Genus | Briza |
| Species | maxima |
Native to southern Europe. Being an annual means that this weed can be controlled within a few seasons by hand weeding or mechanical control before the plant sets seed.
| Interesting Facts | |
|---|---|
| Similar Species | B. maxima is larger than B. minor. The flower/seed clusters (spikelets) distinguish them from each other. B. maxima has fewer, larger flower/seedheads than B. minor. B. maxima spikelets are 10-20 mm in length, while those of B. minor are only 4-5 mm long. |
| Native Status | Introduced |