''Trisetum flavescens'', the yellow oatgrass or golden oat grass, is a
species of grass in the family
Poaceae
Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...
. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
It can be found elsewhere, such as sections of North America, where it was
introduced as a
rangeland grass for
grazing.
[Grass Manual Treatment]
It now exists in the wild as a common
weed.
Description
''Trisetum flavescens'' is a perennial
bunchgrass
Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial ...
growing in clumps up to tall, and known to exceed at times.
The
inflorescence is a narrow panicle which is greenish yellow to purple when new and ages to bright golden yellow.
[
The grass is susceptible to yellow oat grass mosaic virus (YOgMV), a virus of genus '']Tritimovirus
''Tritimovirus'' is a genus of viruses, in the family ''Potyviridae''. Plants serve as natural hosts. There are six species in this genus.
Taxonomy
The genus contains the following species:
* ''Brome streak mosaic virus''
* ''Oat necrotic mottl ...
''.
Toxicity
This grass is noted for being toxic to livestock, causing calcinosis, the deposition of calcium in soft tissues including muscle and tendons, the heart and large arteries including the aorta. Cattle suffer difficulty in moving and standing and reduced milk production. Goats suffer heart murmurs and arrhythmia
Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults ...
s, weight loss, difficulty in walking, kneeling, and rising, and reduced milk production. Horses suffer tenderness in tendons and ligament
A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the:
* Peritoneal li ...
s, weight loss, and problems with movement.[Grabner, A., et al. (1985). Enzootic calcinosis in the horse. ''Tierarztl Prax Suppl.'' 1 84-93.]
References
* Ess. Agrostogr. 88, 153. 1812
External links
GrassBase entry: ''Trisetum flavescens''
*
Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Trisetum flavescens''
flavescens
Bunchgrasses of Africa
Bunchgrasses of Asia
Bunchgrasses of Europe
Flora of Lebanon
{{Pooideae-stub