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Common Name: Perennial Ryegrass

General Information

Lolium perenne is a Evergreen Perennial up to 1.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe to north Africa and northern E. Asia.

Habitat

Meadows and weedy places[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Adapted to mild, humid temperate climates, this species grows best on rather heavy, rich, moist soils, but also does well on well-manured lighter soils with sufficient moisture[]. It dislikes shade and requires a well-drained soil[]. It prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, though it can tolerate a range from 4.5 - 8.2[]. Plants are moderately drought resistant, they tolerate atmspheric pollution and salt in the soil, and can also succeed when planted on minespoil[]. They prefer an annual precipitation in the range of 21 - 176cm[].
Many cultivars have been developed by selection of individual plants, clones and families for specific purposes, such as for lawns, pastures and hay[].
A fast growing plant, it combines particularly well with white clover (Trifolium repens)[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked. Used as a cereal[]. The seed has a nutritional value similar to oats (Avena sativa) and contain gluten[]. An emergency food, it is only used when all else fails[]. The seed is rather small and fiddly to use[]. Yields of 1 tonne per hectare have been achieved, though around 500kg is a more common yield[].

Medicinal

The plant has occasionally been used in the treatment of cancer, diarrhoea, haemorrhages and malaria[].

Other Uses

The plant has the potential to be used as a source of biomass. Yields of up to 25 tonnes per hectare have been reported from Europe. In the absence of definitive yield information an average yield of 17.5 tonnes of dry matter per hectare per year and an energy content of 17.5 GJ per metric tonne are assumed[].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in the spring. It is also possible to sow the seed in situ in the autumn in most parts of Britain. This will give larger plants and heavier yields.