# Is this quackgrass, or annual rye or tall fescue?



## dawk (Nov 29, 2021)




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## 2L8 (Mar 18, 2019)

I think all the grasses pictured are ryegrass. There is certainly no quackgrass among them. The distinction between tall fescue and ryegrass is not so easy. I am particularly guided by the back of the leaves. This is clearly keeled and strongly shiny in PRG and more or less flat and only weakly shiny in tall fescue. The keeling in PRG is usually also visible from above.

Annual ryegrass is even more difficult to distinguish from tall fescue. Both have rolled vernation, the leaf underside is only a little shinier and more keeled in annual ryegrass than in tall fescue. However, it is usually much lighter green and the upper leaf surface is smooth, while that of tall fescue is rough downwards (best sensed on the lips).


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## dawk (Nov 29, 2021)

2L8 said:


> I think all the grasses pictured are ryegrass. There is certainly no quackgrass among them. The distinction between tall fescue and ryegrass is not so easy. I am particularly guided by the back of the leaves. This is clearly keeled and strongly shiny in PRG and more or less flat and only weakly shiny in tall fescue. The keeling in PRG is usually also visible from above.
> 
> Annual ryegrass is even more difficult to distinguish from tall fescue. Both have rolled vernation, the leaf underside is only a little shinier and more keeled in annual ryegrass than in tall fescue. However, it is usually much lighter green and the upper leaf surface is smooth, while that of tall fescue is rough downwards (best sensed on the lips).


Thank you for sharing your analysis. These particular plants are standing out like a sore thumb in my lawn where I planted primarily perennial ryegrass from seed super store. the stalks on these are very stiff and noticeable, and these plants are bunching and sending out the stalks horizontally, but not like stolons Of course.

I still need to dig one up without disturbing the roots to check for rhizomes but I'm not seeing any evidence of one so far. The weirdest part to me is how there doesn't seem to be enough of these in the grass to have been intentionally part of the bag of seed. They just stand out. And the most particular thing about them is how stiff they're round horizontal stalks are


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

dawk said:


> … The weirdest part to me is how there doesn't seem to be enough of these in the grass to have been intentionally part of the bag of seed. …


Got birds or deer poopin' in your yard? 

(Pretty sh*tty question to ask, I know. Apologies, up front


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