Common name: Darnel
Lolium temulentum L. APNI* 
Description: Caespitose annual to 0.9 m high.
Leaves with ligule membranous, 1–2 mm long, obtuse; auricles to 3 mm long, glabrous; blade flat, rolled or folded when dry, to 0.5 cm wide, ribbed, glabrous, sometimes scabrous towards margins.
Inflorescence spicate, narrow-oblong, 15–30 cm long, erect; rachis thickened, scabrous. Spikelets 1–3 cm long, to 0.4 cm wide, sessile, partially embedded in rachis, florets 4–10. Lower glume only present on terminal spikelet, 9–16 mm long; upper similar to lower, ± equal to the spikelet, 9–23 mm long, 2–4 mm wide. Lemmas 5–7 mm long, acute, 7-nerved; awn subterminal, straight and 7–15 mm long, or curved or hooked and 1–2 mm long, inconspicuous. Palea slightly shorter than lemma, acute, 2-keeled, keels scabrous.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Previously was a serious weed of winter cereal crops, now uncommon. Native of Medit. region.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *W.A. *S.A.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & K. L. McClay
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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