97.) POACEAE - Grass family
POACEAE
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Festuca rubra Common in all sorts of grassy places though usually avoiding waterlogged soils. It is frequently used in grass-seed mixes.
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ssp. rubra The nominate plant with the same range and distribution as the species; forming loose patches
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ssp. juncea Scattered in dry rocky grassy places on thin soils.
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ssp. litoralis Locally common around the coast in the inter-tidal zone of saltmarshes and along the tidal Avon where it forms dense mats.
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ssp. commutata (Chewing's Fescue) Various grassy places; usually on well-drained soils and is widely included in grass-seed mixes.
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ssp. megastachys (Strong Creeping Red Fescue) A vigorous plant. Commonly used in grass-seed mixes and is well-established but poorly recorded. Usually stands out even when not in flower. It has darker green foliage than the other subspecies, forms diffuse patches with a diffuse panicle and flat leaves both on the culms and tillers.
Festuca ovina
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ssp. ovina
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ssp. hirtula
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ssp. ophioliticola Found on well-drained calcareous soils. Recorded at Sand Bay in 2023 by D. Peters and present on the Downs. It is probably widespread elsewhere in other limestone districts.
Hordeum jubatum L. - found at Avonmouth Docks in 1961 by N.Y. Sandwith.
Wall Barley The practice of breaking the spikes off and throwing them as darts has probably been around for centuries but probably originated from using Meadow Barley as Wall Barley was only introduced to Britain in the 19th century. Wondered must be put to asking how much this very method of seed dispersal has contributed to the overall spread of the species since then.
Species to add:
- Moorochloa eruciformis (Sm.) Veldkamp (Sweet Signal-grass - GBIF) - [Bristol Botany in 1935 (as Brachiaria isachne)]
Apera spica-venti (Loose Silky-bent) found at Watercress Farm, near Wraxall in an area which had been sown with a seed mix by C. Mockridge and S. Elson (Nature in Avon, 2025, p. 193).
Stiff Saltmarsh-grass (Puccinellia rupestris) found at Sea Mills in 2024 by R.J. Higgins [Nature in Avon 2025, p. 194]
Rescue Brome (Ceratochloa cathartica) found to be abundant on re-sown road verges at Harry Stoke, Stoke Gifford in 2024 by R.J. Higgins [Nature in Avon 2025, p. 194]
Elymus repens x E. athericus = E. x drucei (Stace) Stace (Common x Sea Couch) - recorded at Pill Foreshore Nature Reserve in 2023 by Sharon Pilkington [record in SRPG Newsletter 2025, p. 56.]