Lolium is a genus oftufted grasses in thebluegrass subfamily (Pooideae).[2][3] It is often calledryegrass, but this term is sometimes used to refer to grasses in other genera.
They are characterized by bunch-like growth habits.Lolium is native toEurope,Asia and northernAfrica, as well as being cultivated and naturalized inAustralia, theAmericas, and various oceanic islands. Ryegrasses are naturallydiploid, with 2n=14, and are closely related to thefescues (Festuca).[4][5][6][7]
Ryegrass should not be confused withrye, which is a grain crop.
Lolium contains some species which are important grasses forlawns, and aspasture and for grazing andhay forlivestock, being a highly nutritious stock feed. Ryegrasses are also used insoilerosion control programs. It is the principal grazing grass inNew Zealand where some 10 million kilograms of certified seed are produced every year. There is a large range ofcultivars. The primary species found worldwide and used both for lawns and as a forage crop isperennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Like many cool-season grasses of the Poaceae, it harbors a symbiotic fungalendophyte, eitherEpichloë or its close relativeNeotyphodium, both of which are members of the fungal familyClavicipitaceae.[10][11]
Some species, particularlyL. temulentum, areweeds which can have a severe impact on the production of wheat and other crops. Annual ryegrass (L. rigidum) is one of the most serious and costly weeds of cropping systems in southern Australia, andherbicide resistance is a frequent problem.[12] Ryegrasspollen is also one of the major causes ofhay fever.Tennis courts, including those at theAll England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the venue forWimbledon, are planted with ryegrass.[13][14]Glyphosate-resistantLolium has been reported from Mississippi in 2006.[15]
![Perennial ryegrass, used as winter lawn.[9]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aPerennial_Ryegrass.jpg)
