quackgrass
(Elymus repens)
This species is Introduced in the United States
Native to Europe.
Appearance
E. repens is a perennial, cool-season, rhizomatous grass that can grow up to 3′ (0.9 m) tall.
Foliage
The stems are green to whitish, erect to decumbent and can grow to 3′ (0.9 m) tall. The leaves are 6-15.7″ (15.2–40 cm) long and usually have a pair of prominent auricles at the base.
Flowers
Flowering occurs from May to September. The flower spikes are 3.9–11.8″ (10–30 cm) long and have 3-8 yellow florets per spikelet.
Fruit
Seeds form a spool-shaped unit, broadest below the middle and are usually brown, 0.16–0.20″ (4–5 mm) long. Seeding occurs from spring to summer.
Ecological Threat
E. repens is intolerant to shade and occurs in pastures, gardens, roadsides, and other disturbed open areas.
Resources
- Element Stewardship Abstract - The Nature Conservancy
- Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the U.S. - USDA-APHIS
- Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
- Alaska Noxious Weeds
- Arizona Noxious Weeds
- California Noxious Weeds
- City of Ann Arbor Michigan Parks and Recreation
- Colorado Noxious Weeds
- Connecticut Invasive Plant List
- Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group
- Hawaii Noxious Weeds
- Hoffman, R. & K. Kearns, Eds. 1997. Wisconsin manual of control recommendations for ecologically invasive plants. Wisconsin Dept. Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources. Madison, Wisconsin. 102pp.
- Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin
- Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
- Iowa Noxious Weeds
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Survey of TNC Preserves, 1995.
- Kansas Noxious Weeds
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council - Moderate Threat
- Maryland Code and Regulations Noxious Weed & Seed Law
- Michigan Noxious Weeds
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- New Hampshire Invasive Plant Species Watch List
- New Mexico Noxious Weeds
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Pacific Northwest Exotic Pest Plant Council, 1998
- Utah Noxious Weeds - Contain
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
- West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999
- Wyoming Noxious Weeds
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Lilianae |
| Order: Poales |
| Family: Poaceae |
| Genus: Elymus |
| Elymus repens |
Synonyms and Other Names
Other Common Names:
couch grass, dog grass, quickgrass, scutch, quitch, twitch
Related Scientific Names:
Agropyron repens (L.) Gould (Synonym)
Agropyron repens var. subulatum Roem. & Schult. (Synonym)
Elytrigia repens (L.) Gould (Synonym)
Elytrigia vaillantiana (L.) Gould (Synonym)
Triticum repens (L.) Gould (Synonym)
Triticum vaillantianum (L.) Gould (Synonym)
References
Common Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.