Common name: Perennial Ryegrass
Lolium perenne L. APNI* 
Description: Loose to densely tufted annual or short-lived perennial to 0.8 m high.
Leaves with sheath often pinkish, glabrous; ligule membranous 1–2 mm long, obtuse; auricles to 3 mm long, glabrous; blade flat, folded when dry, to 0.5 cm wide, often shiny, glabrous, sometimes upper surface scabrous.
Inflorescence spicate, 10–27 cm long; rachis thickened, scabrous. Spikelets 8–16 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, partly in concavities of rachis, florets 7–12. Lower glume only present on terminal spikelet; upper shorter than spikelet, 5–12 mm long, c. 1.5 mm wide, subulate, thickened, gaping at maturity. Lemmas 5–7 mm long, acute, faintly 5-nerved, awnless. Palea slightly shorter than lemmas, acute, keels scabrous.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Grown as a pasture species and planted in recreation areas; often on roadsides. Native of Medit. region.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *W.A. *S.A. *N.T.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & K. L. McClay
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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