Plant Species

We distinguish two main families of forage plants: Gramineae (= Poaceae) and Legumes (= Fabacea).

• Agrostis canina L.: Velvet Bent
• Agrostis capillaris L.: Common Bent, Browntop
• Agrostis gigantea Roth: Black Bent, Redtop
• Agrostis stolonifera L.: Creeping Bent
• Alopecurus pratensis L.: Meadow Foxtail, Field Meadow Foxtail
• Phleum bertolonii DC.: Timothy
• Phleum pratense L.: Timothy, Timothy-Grass

• Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf: Coolatai grass
• Saccharum officinarum L.: Sugarcane
• Saccharum spontaneum L.: Kans Grass
• Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.: Johnson grass
• Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf: Sudan Grass

• Arrhenatherum elatius (L.) P. Beauv. ex J.S. et K.B. Presl.: False Oat-grass, Tall Oat-grass, Tall Meadow Oat, Onion Couch, Tuber Oat-grass
• Avena sativa L.: Oats
• Holcus lanatus L.: Yorkshire Fog, Tufted Grass
• Trisetaria flavescens (L.) Maire: Golden Oat Grass, Yellow Oat Grass

• Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.: Bermuda Grass, Dog’s Ttooth Grass, Bahama Grass
• Chloris gayana Kunth

• Eragrostis curvula (Schras.) Nees: Weeping Lovegrass

• Bromus catharticus Vahl: Rescuegrass
• Bromus sitchensis Trin.: Alaska Brome
• Festuca arundinacea Schreber: Tall Fescue
• Festuca ovina (L.): Sheep Fescue
• Festuca pratensis Hudson : Meadow Fescue
• Festuca rubra L.: Red Fescue
• Dactylis glomerata L.: Orchard Grass
• Lolium multiflorum Lam.: Italian Ryegrass, Annual Ryegrass (including Westerwold Ryegrass).
• Lolium perenne L.: Perennial Ryegrass, English Ryegras
• Lolium X boucheanum Kunth: Hybrid Ryegrass
• Poa annua L.: Annual Bluegrass
• Poa nemoralis L.: Wood Bluegrass
• Poa palustris L.: Fowl Bluegrass
• Poa pratensis L.: Kentucky Bluegrass
• Poa trivialis L.: Rough Bluegrass

• Hordeum bulbosum L.: Bulbous Barley
• Hordeum vulgare L.: Barley
• Secale cereale L.: Rye
• Trisetum flavescens (L.) P. Beauv.: Golden Oat Grass
• Triticum aestivum L.: Common Wheat

• Euchlaena mexicana Schard.: Annual Teosinte
• Euchlaena perennis Hitchc.: Perennial Teosinte
• Tripsacum laxum Nach.
• Zea Mays L.: Maize

• Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv.: Molasses Grass
• Panicum bulbosum H. B. K.: Texas Grass
• Panicum maximum Jacq.: Guinea Grass, Green Panic Grass
• Panicum muticum Forsk.: Signalgrass
• Panicum miliaceum L.: Millet
• Paspalum scrobiculatum L.: Kodo Millet
• Pennisetum americanum (L.) K. Schum.: Pearl Millet
• Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link: Buffelgrass, African Foxtail Grass
• Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst.: Kikuyu
• Rhynchelytrum roseum (Nees) Stapf et Hubbard: Natal Grass, Pink Tricholene
• Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.: Foxtail Millet
• Setaria nigrirostris (Nees) Dur. et Schinz.: Black-seed Bristle Grass

• Ehrharta calycina Smith: Perennial Veldtgrass
• Phalaris aquatica L.: Harding Grass
• Phalaris arundinacea L.: Reed Canarygrass
• Phalaris canariensis L.: Canarygrass
• Phalaris tuberosa L.: Bulbous Canarygrass

• Oryzopsis miliacea (L.) Asch. et Schw: Ricegrass

• Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr.: Manila Grass

There are morphological characters allowing recognition of legume species at vegetative stage [lien vers Plants Morphogenesis]

• Lupinus albus L.: White Lupin
• Lupinus angustifolius L.: Blue Lupin
• Lupinus luteus L.: European Yellow Lupin

• Medicago lupulina L.: Black Medic
• Medicago sativa L.: Lucerne
• Medicago X varia T. Martyn: Lucerne
• Trifolium alexandrinum L.: Egyptian Clover
• Trifolium hybridum L.: Alsike Clover
• Trifolium incarnatum L.: Crimson Clover
• Trifolium pratense L.: Red Clover
• Trifolium repens L.: White Clover
• Trifolium resupinatum L.: Persian Clover
• Trigonella foenum-graecum L.: Fenugreek

• Lotus corniculatus L.: Bird’s-foot Trefoil

• Hedysarum coronarium L.: French Honeysuckle, Italian Sainfoin
• Hedysarum flexuosum L.: Sulla

• Onobrychis viciaefolia Scop.: Sainfoin
• Pisum sativum L.: Forage Peas
• Vicia faba L.: Broad Bean, Fava Bean
• Vicia pannonica Crantz: Hungarian Vetch
• Vicia sativa L.: Common Vetch
• Vicia villosa Roth.: Hairy Vetch, Fodder Vetch, Winter Vetch

• Brassica napus L. varnapobrassica (L) Rchb.: Turnip and Rutabagas
• Brassica oleracea L. Convar cephala (DC) Alef.var. medullosa Thell + var.viridis L.. Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiformis Pers.: Forage Kale
• Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth: Phacelia
• Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiformis Pers.: Forage Radish

Main criteria in selecting species for planting a grassland: (Vignau-Loustau et Huyghe, 2008¹⁾):

1. Intended lifetime of the grassland
2. Soils and climate conditions
3. Principal intended farming method
4. Expected production period (spring, summer or fall).

The lifetime of species differs for grasses and legumes. In grasses, the alternate Italian ryegrass live less than a year while tall fescue may exceed six years. With regard to legumes, except for annual legumes, variations are also important: certain species such as red clover rarely survive two years whereas others, such as the white clover, live more than six years.

The lifetime is an aspect corresponding to an important functional trait (Lavorel et Garnier, 2002²⁾) of plant species.

For the right choice of species and farming method, we should take into account a physiology of groundcover and plant morphogenesis. [Lien vers les deux pages]

Associated Pages

• Plant Morphogenesis [lien vers la page]

Most descriptions of forage plants is issued from the study by Edmond Joseph Villax, La Culture des Plantes Fourragères dans la région méditerranéenne occidentale (1963).