Silver grass

Vulpia bromoides

There are several species of silver grass (i.e. grasses in the Vulpia genus). They are all slender annual grasses with fine (0.5–3.0mm wide) hairless leaves. Silver grass has a membranous ligule, no auricles and slender hairless stems. The seed head is a narrow, one-sided panicle containing numerous seeds that have a straight terminal awn up to 14mm long.

In the early seedling stages of growth silver grass can be confused with annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) and toad rush (Juncus bufonius). Toad rush can be distinguished from silver grass by the absence of a ligule and by fleshy leaves that arise from the base of the plant.