How to Identify Pasture Plants

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How to Identify Pasture Plants
Sid Bosworth UVM Extension Forage Agronomist
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Any Questions?
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Why is it important to be able to identify plants
in your pasture?
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References for Identifying Pasture Plants

• Websites for Pasture Plant Identification
• From The University of Vermont
• - Identification Guide for Forage Legumes Grown
  in the Northeast
• http//pss.uvm.edu/vtcrops/articles/ForageLegumeI
  D.pdf
• - Identification Guide for Forage Grasses Grown
  in the Northeast
• http//pss.uvm.edu/vtcrops/articles/ForageGrassID
  Table.pdf
• From Purdue University
• - Forage Identification Website
• http//www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/forages/forageid.h
  tm
• From University of Wisconsin
• - Identifying Pasture Grasses http//learningstor
  e.uwex.edu/pdf/A3637.pdf
• - Identifying Pasture Legumes http//cecommerce.uw
  ex.edu/pdfs/A3787.PDF

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Forage and Pasture Legumes
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Legume Growth Habits
Alsike clover
White clover has a creeping growth habit using
stolons
Red clover
Alfalfa Crown
Most forage legumes grow from a crown and dont
creep
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Legume Leaf Characteristics
Alfalfa and sweetclover have three leaflets but
the terminal leaflet has an extended stem called
a petiolule
Birdsfoot trefoil has five leaflets
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Legume Leaf Characteristics
All three leaflets of True clovers come to the
same point and do not have a petiolule
Alsike clover has no hairs and no water marks
White clover has no hairs and usually, but not
always, has water marks
Red clover has hairs and water marks
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Legume Floral Characteristics
Racemes
Flower Heads
White clover
Alfalfa
Red clover
Sweetclover
Umbels
Alsike clover
Birdsfoot trefoil
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Growth Stages
Determinant Growth
Vegetative
Bud
- Alfalfa - Red Clover
Bloom
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Growth Stages
Indeterminate Growth
Vegetative
- Birdsfoot trefoil- White clover
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Forage Grasses
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Grass Parts
Like most plants, grasses are made up of four
basic organs Roots Stems Leaves Flowers
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Bunch Grasses

• Timothy
• Orchardgrass
• Tall and meadow fescue
• Ryegrasses
• Festulolium

Orchardgrass
Perennial ryegrass
Tall fescue
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Sod-Forming Grasses

• Kentucky bluegrass
• Smooth bromegrass
• Reed canarygrass
• Quackgrass
• Bentgrasses

Kentucky bluegrass
Creeping bentgrass
Reed canarygrass
Smooth bromegrass
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Grass Regrowth Characteristics

• Jointing grasses
• (Growing point elevates at regrowth)
• Timothy
• Smooth bromegrass
• Reed canarygrass

• Non-jointing grasses
• (Growing point stays at crown)
• Orchardgrass
• Tall fescue
• Perennial ryegrass/festuloliums
• Ky bluegrass

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Plant Height Classification

• Tall/Big Species
• Alfalfa
• Red clover
• Upright varieties of birdsfoot trefoil
• Alsike clover
• Timothy
• Smooth bromegrass
• Orchardgrass
• Tall and meadow fescue
• Reed canarygrass
• Festulolium
• Italian ryegrass

• Intermediate Species
• Intermediate varieties of birdsfoot trefoil
• Ladino type of white clover
• Tetraploid Perennial ryegrass

• Short/Small Species
• Empire type varieties of birdsfoot trefoil
• Common and Dutch type of white clover
• Kentucky bluegrass
• Diploid perennial ryegrass

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Leaf Characteristics - Auricles

• Grasses with auricles
• Quackgrass (large)
• Tall fescue (stubby)
• Meadow fescue (stubby)
• Perennial ryegrass (small)
• Italian ryegrass (small)
• Festulolium (small)

Auricles
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Leaf Characteristics - Ligules
Smooth bromegrass ligule is short, truncate and
membranous
Reed canarygrass ligule is medium long, rounded
and membranous
Orchardgrass ligule is long, pointed and
membranous
Timothy ligule is medium long, acute tip notched
on ends
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Leaf Characteristics - Collar
Tall and meadow fescue, perennial and Italian
ryegrass and festulolium all have very distinct,
whitish collar areas
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Unique Leaf Characteristics
Canoe tip on bluegrasses
Deep ridges on upper leaves of ryegrasses and
fescues
M shaped constriction about half way down
bromegrass leaves
Keel-like midrib on bottom leaves of ryegrasses
with shiny dark green color
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Grass Leafbud Shape
A cross section of a grass leafbud will be either

• Timothy
• Tall fescue
• Meadow fescue
• Italian ryegrass
• Festulolium
• Quackgrass
• Reed canarygrass
• Smooth bromegrass
• Creeping bentgrass

Rolled or

• Kentucky bluegrass
• Canada bluegrass
• Perennial ryegrass
• Orchardgrass
• Sheep fescue

Folded
If it is triangular, then it is a sedge!
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Grass Seedheads
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Grass Anthesis
Complete Flower
Monoecious
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Forage Growth Patterns
Growth rates are a function of phylogeny,
temperature and soil moisture
The optimum rate for photosynthesis and growth
Cool season grasses (C3) 60o - 75o F Warm
season grasses (C4) 75o - 90o F Legumes varies
but 65o - 80o F
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Any Questions?
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Any Questions?