Author: James Common

While recording for the ‘Urban Flora‘ I have now come across a grand total of 72 grasses growing in a wild or naturalised state within the conurbation. This is roughly 7.5% of all species recorded in the survey area, and more still are being recorded by fellow recorders.

This is an incredibly diverse group and a real focus of the summer recording period. Now we’re a few years in and trends are finally beginning to emerge, I thought I’d share a [not so] brief round-up of the results so far in a similar manner to past posts here and here. Brace yourselves, this could turn out to be quite the essay…

Before I go any further, however, a very big thank you to Chris Barlow, who takes far better photos than I, for several of the images used within, and similarly to Pru Hamed and Joe Dobinson for their contributions made available through iRecord.

Common Grasses

The Big Seven

The ‘big seven’ urban grasses across the conurbation will come as no surprise to anyone. All are common and familiar species capable of thriving in a broad range of habitats. Few grasses demonstrate this better than Annual Meadow-grass (Poa annua) which has been recorded in 161 (98%) monads so far and gets just about everywhere – pavements, walls, garden lawns, quality grassland, you name it. Incidentally, this number corresponds to the total number of monads surveyed to date so it is likely that this species will eventually be recorded from all 164 squares.

Next up is Cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomerata) found in 149 (91%) monads so far. A robust grass characteristic of rank communities atop neutral or basic soils, it is the most frequent grass of roadside verges, urban wasteground and overgrown amenity grassland. I suspect this too will be recorded from all squares, as will the next two species, Red Fescue (Festuca rubra) and Perennial Rye-grass (Lolium perene), recorded from 110 (67%) monads each. Both are very widespread species of lawns and amenity grasslands, but occur too in more natural habitats, as well as in gardens, pavements and other urbanised environments.

Next, we have False Oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius) at 108 (66%) monads. Like Cock’s-foot, this species is a dominant fixture of rank neutral communities but anecdotally, occurs equally frequently as a weed of pavements and messy gardens. It will surely prove more widespread still.

Finally, we have Creeping Bent (Agrostis stolonifera) which while commonly encountered in its typical habitat of wetlands and around seasonal floods, also occurs as a frequent colonist of pavements, gutters and tracksides, and Yorkshire Fog (Holcus lanatus). Recorded from 72 (44%) monads thus far, the latter occurs just about anywhere but is most plentiful in damp situations and overgrown lawns.

Widespread Grasses

The next set of common grasses fall roughly into two broad habitats: quality grassland, typically atop neutral soils, and derelict and disturbed land. We will cover the former first but it should be noted that all of the grasses mentioned here are likely subject to under-recorded – there is still much more to do on this front, thus they are probably best described as ‘widespread’ as opposed to truly common.

Of the species I have come to associate with ‘quality’ grassland, Rough Meadow-grass (Poa trivialis) seems most abundant, found in 88 (54%) monads so far. This species is present in most natural grassland communities including those of roadside verges, parkland and field margins and those of neglected amenity grassland and seems absent only where management is most intense. Or perhaps it is simply undetectable when mown! The same can also be said for Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis), recorded from 55 (33%) monads thus far, though both seem genuinely scarcer than the generalists featured higher up the list. The same habitats that feature the preceding two species also tend to hold Timothy (Phleum pratense), 43 (26%) monads, and Crested Dog’s-tail (Cynosurus cristatus), 31 (19%) monads; though both appear scarcer, both almost entirely absent from the most urbanised squares. Both appear linked to reseeding in some cases and more so than the previous two species, favour slightly ‘wilder’ grasslands.

Tufted Hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) is also a frequent grass, recorded from some 55 (33%) monads. As a rule, it seems unphased by soil type and instead occurs wherever the land is poorly drained, most commonly in amenity and semi-natural woodland but also in ditches, damp grassland, and around urban ponds and SUDS where at times, it forms a unique community with several juncus species.

Finally in this very generalised category, we have Soft-brome (Bromus hordaceus) at 37 (22%) monads and Common Bent (Agrostis capillaris). The former occurs as isolated colonies just about anywhere there has been some degree of disturbance, typically favouring the edges of tracks, amenity grassland and rank verges where competition is limited. Recorded from 26 (16%) monads, the latter shows a strong preference for relic acidic habitats which are rather rare locally but may occur in neutral communities.

Derelict and Disturbed Land

The next set of frequent grasses are those associated with derelict land and disturbed habitats. Of these, two stand out as occurring most frequently in urban areas – Wall Barley (Hordeum murium), 41 (25%) monads, and Barren Brome (Anisantha sterilis), 42 (25%) monads. While they are not tied to it, these archaeophytes occur in areas of high disturbance including roadsides, pavements, wall bases and messy front gardens. Interestingly, both are more numerous in suburban areas such as Heaton, Jesmond and Gosforth but rather scarce in the city centre where efforts to control ‘weeds’ are more intense.

Common Couch (Elymus repens) is an interesting one in that it has only been recorded from 43 (26%) monads so far. An underestimation, for sure, though it does appear to be less frequent than perhaps I anticipated when starting out. Couch occurs scantly in the rank Cock’s-foot-False Oat-grass communities seen on verges but is more frequent on derelict land and brownfield sites. It seems to feature scantly in the lists shared by other local botanists too.

Water Bent (Polypodon viridis) is an interesting species. The story of this successful grass is well known but suffice to say that until recently, it was somewhat of a rarity in Tyneside. Recorded from 25 (15%) monads so far and increasing each year, this no longer seems to be the case. This grass is most numerous in Newcastle City Centre and the surrounding suburbs but as the survey progresses, is turning up in new locations towards the peripheries of the survey area. I suspect it will prove much more numerous when the majority of the area’s gutters and wall bases are thoroughly checked.

Localised Native Grasses

The vast majority of the grass species recorded so far in the conurbation can be described as uncommon or at the very least, somewhat localised. In many cases, this may be due to a lack of suitable habitat and genuine scarcity but in other cases, may be due to under-recording.

Woodland Species

The most abundant grasses of Newcastle and North Tyneside’s woodlands are undoubtedly the generalist species mentioned previously. Species such as Rough Meadow-grass and Tufted Hair-grass can be terribly common in such habitats, for example. There are, however, a rather select set of species that to date, have only been recorded from woodland settings.

Creeping Soft-grass (Holcus mollis) seems surprisingly picky, found in just 13 (8%) monads so far. This one appears tied to areas of amenity and semi-natural woodland, usually atop dry soils where competition is limited and at times, may form the dominant grass cover. It does pop up in hedgerows and grassland areas too so may yet prove more abundant.

False-brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) appears to be living up to its reputation as a woodland species, recorded from just 13 (8%) monads to date. Most of this, as expected, take in areas of Newcastle’s wooded denes, though it occurs also in recent amenity woodlands, often on the site of former mines. Less often, this species colonises unshaded, neutral to calcareous habitats where it may be locally abundant. Perhaps the most prominent example of this are the banks of the Tyne at Elswick where it forms a distinctive understory below a range of planted and naturalised ornamental shrubs.

Hairy Brome (Bromopsis ramosa) is by all accounts a genuinely rare grass in the conurbation. Favouring shaded woodland with ample bare or disturbed ground, and just occasionally, mature hedgerows, it seems tied to the ‘wilder’ parts of the city, including Newcastle’s denes and several wooded nature reserves. I have only managed to record in 8 (5%) monads thus far but there are a few possible sites still to check.

Like the previous species, Bearded Couch (Elymus caninus) is a local scarcity, recorded from just 2 (1%) monads. It always has been with only 14 records held by the BSBI as of 2024, the last of which dates to 2011. So far, I have recorded this species from the edge of amenity woodland at Heaton Park, growing where recent works had disturbed the soil, and, rather oddly, from a gravelled front garden in Heaton. I suspect the latter may be the result of seed carried back from the aforementioned park.

Wood Melick (Melica uniflora), 2 (1%) monads, is a rare plant of rich woodland soils. In the greater Newcastle area, it is known historically only from the four city denes. Despite searching all to within an inch of their lives, I am yet to find it in Walbottle or Throckley Dene. Instead, I have observed it on just one occasion in more inaccessible parts of Sugley Dene – perhaps the least trodden of the city’s green spaces – and this week, I encountered in in two small areas of Jesmond Dene well away from areas of high footfall and disturbance. I do wonder if this species is genuinely declining as the health of such sites decreases.

Wood Meadow-grass (Poa nemoralis) seems only fractionally more widespread in the survey area at 5 (3%) monads so far. These correspond almost perfectly to its known range within the area with healthy populations at Havannah, Gosforth Nature Reserve, Jesmond Dene and Woolsington. It should be rather more widespread and indeed, on Friday, was discovered at a new wooded site at Killingworth.

Grassland Species

Yellow Oat-grass (Trisetum flavescens), 4 (3%) monads in total, is another grass with a patchy local distribution. I haven’t had much luck searching the city’s scant calcareous grasslands and with the exception of some former industrial grasslands along Scotswood Road, it seems mysteriously absent from many seemingly perfect areas of habitat. Instead, this species is most numerous on roadside verges near Woolsington, perhaps as an introduction, and around Big Waters Country Park. It is interesting to note that even within these grasslands it is far from common and very much lives up to its reputation as a ‘subordinate’ grass.

Quaking Grass (Briza media), recorded from 6 (4%) monads to date, is almost as picky and one could argue that all populations within the area stem from human introductions. The greatest concentrations occur on former industrial land at Scotswood and Silverlink, both sites which have been restored at one point or another. It is likewise likely introduced at Gosforth Nature Reserve and at further sites, is clearly a more recent escape. Wall tops in Heaton are far from it’s natural habitat.

Sheep’s-fescue (Festuca ovina) is a grass of free-draining, acid to calcareous habitats. Of the 9 (5.5%) monads in which it has been recorded so far, most match this criteria with the greatest concentrations being found on former industrial plots along the Tyne. It does, however, turn up outside of these places as demonstrated by records from a road verge at Gosforth and pastures at Big Waters. I suspect this is another I am guilty of under-recording.

Smooth Meadow-grass (Poa pratensis) is a perennial grass of verges, meadows and amenity grassland and is often found growing cheek by jowl with its more abundant cousin, Poa trivialis. It seems genuinely less plentiful than the latter and thus far, has been recorded from just 18 (11%) monads. This one is almost certainly under-recorded, particularly in areas rich in Poa trivialis where checking many plants may be necessary in order to find it. I suspect this one may be bumped up to the common and widespread list in due course. Smooth Meadow-grass often shares its habitat with another generalist, Tall Fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus), 11 monads (7%), which appears rather more scarce and anecdotally, favours grasslands that are mown very infrequently (or not at all). So far, the best place to look for this impressive species has proven to be inaccessible road verges, roundabouts and central reservations which are often left to develop absent the constant landscaping that defines our city spaces.

Unlike Tall Fescue, Meadow Fescue (Schedonorus pratensis) is a genuinely rare grass. Recorded from just 4 monads (2.5%) so far, it seems to favour rough patches within established amenity grassland, I suspect where grass or ‘wildflower’ mixes have been sown in the past. Whether it occurs as a containment or a relic, I am unsure, but it is seldom numerous even where present.

Smaller Cat’s-tail (Phleum bertolonii), 6 monads (4%), has always been a rare grass in the area with just 14 records from four sites prior to this survey, usually from long-established grassland on nature reserves. That does not appear to be the true picture, however, as the species occurs scantly in a range of grassland types. It certainly occurs as a component of restorative seed mixes, as demonstrated by several records from sown grassland surrounding new build housing estates, and shows more of a tolerance for parched, infertile grassland than the similar Timothy. It is possible that particularly robust forms of this species, particularly where deliberately sown, have been under-recorded in favour of the larger species.

Wetland Species

Wetland areas are relatively scarce in the conurbation, a fact which largely explains the scarcity of grass species associated with watercourses and inundated areas. Of those which grow with ‘wet feet’ Floating Sweet (Glyceria fluitans) appears to be the most abundant, recorded from 10 monads (6%) so far. The relative success of this species can be explained by its tolerance of high nutrients and stagnation, with G. flutitans growing equally well in ditches and areas of arable run-off as it does in better-quality wetlands. Linked to this, Hybrid Sweet-grass (Glyceria fluitans x notata = G. x pedicellata) has been recorded from just 1 monad (0.6%) so far when it was found by John Durkin at Havannah Nature Reserve.

Reed Sweet-grass (Glyceria maxima), 7 monads (4%), occurs mainly as an introduction within the survey area. Growing within shallow areas of pools and lakes, or on nearby banks, it appears to have been added to several of the city’s wetlands for its ornamental value. Examples include Iris Brickfield Park, Rising Sun Country Park and various SUDS ponds in Gosforth. It may, however, occur naturally within marshland at Fencerhill Wood and Havannah Nature Reserve.

Not strictly a wetland grass, I admit, but one most often found close to water, Marsh Foxtail (Alopecurus geniculatus), found in 14 (8%) monads occurs predominately in waterlogged grassland. It may be locally abundant across successional brownfield sites and seasonally flooded grassland as seen at Iris Brickfield Park, Heaton, but also occurs around the margins of SUDS and urban lakes. Often at the waterside edge of communities dominated by common generalist grasses. I suspect it will prove much more widespread.

Reed Canary-grass (Phalaris aurundinacea) is by far the most abundant grass of the conurbations’ damp spaces, recorded from 44 (27%) monads so far. It can be found in almost all waterlogged areas notably including wet woodland, pool margins, seasonal floods and ditches, often forming dense monocultures where conditions are right. Two interesting observations surrounding this species include the presence of a variegated garden cultivar, var. picta, at several sites where it has been introduced, and the tendency of the species to outlive temporary wetlands. Such sites, commonly observed on the margins of arable fields or areas of brownfield, are rather abundant.

Finally, in this category, we have Common Reed (Phragmites australis). Occurring predominately in an introduced state, it can be found in most areas of suitable habitat but is dominant at only a few select sites. Most notably Gosforth Nature Reserve which holds the area’s largest reedbed. So far it has been recorded from 25 (15%) monads.

Heathland Grasses

Presumably much more widespread in prehistory, areas of lowland heath and acid grassland are now a rarity in the conurbation, concentrated in just a few corners of Newcastle. Further sites, most notably Prestwick Carr, sit outside the survey area and have not been surveyed on account of their rural appearance. The relative rarity of these habitats means that many of the grasses associated with them are confined to a few select sites, with a few notable exceptions.

The most prevalent grass of acidic swards is undoubtedly, Sweet Vernal-grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum), recorded from 16 (10%) of monads so far. This species can be prolific in such relic habitats, as seen at Gosforth Nature Reserve, but is much more of a generalist than other species within this category. It occurs in density within all relic acid grasslands but is present too in high-quality neutral grasslands and rarely, seemingly calcareous communities. There are undoubtedly still sites to discover for this one but it does appear scarce outside of these acidic communities.

Heath Grass (Danthonia decumbens) has always been a scarce grass in the survey area with only 12 historic records, the majority of which are ageing fast. Not recorded at all since 2004, during the present survey, it has been recorded from just 2 monads (1.2%), both times from ruderal ground close to relic heathland at High Gosforth Park. Similarly scarce, Matt-grass (Nardus stricta) has been recorded from just a single monad (0.6%) at Havannah Nature Reserve where it occurs amid Newcastle’s largest area of relic lowland heath. Both of these species were recorded from the former Brenkley Colliery in the early 2000s but searches of the site so far have failed to refind them. A challenge for local recorders?

Wavy Hair-grass (Avenella flexuosa) ought to be a little more widespread than it has proven so far. Recorded from just 5 monads (3%) to date, it shows a preference for woodland edge and rank grassland close to relic acid habitats, most notably at Gosforth Park, Big Waters and other locations in the North of Newcastle. It has also been recorded from brownfield land at Newburn.

Neither of the two common North East cottongrasses are species that anyone would associate with urban habitats, and they aren’t in truth, occurring in very low densities in isolated corners of the conurbation. Common Cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium), 1 monad (0.6%), is a very rare component of the relic heathland community at Havannah Nature Reserve, occurring across just a few metres of boggy land. It is also known from Prestwick Carr, outside of the survey area. Somewhat more surprising is the occurrence of Hare’s-tail Cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum) at Rising Sun Country Park in North Tyneside where it was found in 2024 by Joe Dobinson. The habitat here is by no means typical so it is safe to assume that it was introduced during the restoration of the various ponds on site. A process which also introduced Glyceria maxima and non-grass species such as Carex paniculata.

Saline Habitats

Saline habitats in the city are represented by two major habitat types: salt-strewn roadsides and relic saltmarsh and riverbanks along the Tyne. The latter is rather scarce, persisting in small pockets between Royal Quays and Wallsend to the East to Newburn in the West, while the former is far more widespread on account of our tendency to grit our roads in winter. We’ll cover the natural habitat first.

Common Saltmarsh-grass (Puccinellia maritima) would once have been much more widespread in the area but now exists in mere pockets where bare saline soils have been allowed to persist along the Tyne. Recorded from just 6 monads (3.5%) it is geographically rare but locally abundant at sites such as Walker, Elswick and Willington Gut. Higher up, amid the tidal defences and salt-sprayed walls that fringe the river, these sites too hold populations of Hybrid Couch (Elymus repens x junceiformis = E. x laxus), 5 (3%) monads. A cross between Common Couch (Elymus repens) and Sand Couch (Elymus junceiformis), it is interesting to note that Sand Couch has never been recorded within the survey area and was presumably lost when the river was altered quite some time ago. The hybrid between Sea Couch (Elymus athericus) and Sand Couch has also been recorded in Newcastle but alas, I am yet to find it.

And then we have our saline roadsides. Here, the only relatively widespread coastal grass species is Relfexed Saltmarsh-grass (Puccila distans) which to date, has been recorded from 17 (10%) monads. This species does well in the disturbed ground of verges and pavement cracks close to major roads and as such, is tied predominately to the area’s major throughaffairs where gritting is more prevalent. It is not the only grass to occur in such places, however, and chasing an old record by Gordon Young in Heaton, I was pleased to find Sea Fern-grass (Catapodium marinum) at its only known local site. Perhaps this one will yet occur more widely.

Bare and Disturbed Ground

Disturbed habitats in the city are usually dominated by several of the common and widespread species mentioned previously and increasingly, by Water Bent too. They do, however, host several somewhat more uncommon grasses which inhabit pavements, walls, roadworks, neglected stonework, rubble heaps and other such places.

Perhaps the most plentiful of these grasses is Fern-grass (Catapodium rigidum), recorded from 17 (10%) of monads so far. This inconspicuous little grass does well in a whole host of bare, parched and seemingly inhospitable habitats including wall-tops, pavements and roadsides but with the largest populations being found on the rubble and thin soils of demolition sites. It is easy to miss but is quickly revealing itself to be rather widespread.

Annual Beard-grass (Polypogon monspeliensis), 3 monads (1.8%) is an interesting one. It is widespread across the site of a now demolished brewery in Newcastle City Centre. How it got there remains unclear, but the disturbed, free-draining soils here seem to suit it well. Elsewhere, it occurs as a scant bird-seed alien in urban habitats but has shown itself capable of returning year-on-year in parts of Heaton. It is by no means a casual.

The two ‘tail-fescues’, told apart by their different-sized glumes, share a very similar taste in growing conditions. Both occur almost entirely on bare, free-draining soils, namely within parched amenity flowerbeds, stonework and neglected car parks. Both are rather scarce, though Squirreltail Fescue (Vulpia bromoides) is by far the most frequent, recorded from 12 (7.5%) monads vs the 1 (0.6%) monad of Rat’s-tail Fescue (Vulpia myuros). As annuals, these two are proving hard to account for in the present survey with only a limited window of opportunity to find them each year.

Four more rare grasses show a preference for bare or disturbed ground. Flattened Meadow-grass (Poa compressa) is easy to miss but has been recorded from 2 (1%) monads close to the Tyne at Walker. On both occasions, it was found to inhabit areas of derelict land. The final three grasses are predominately arable in nature and their relative scarcity may be partially explained by the exclusion of non-urban, arable monads at the onset of the survey. Black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides) is a troublesome weed in Southern parts of the UK but remains rare in the North East. So far, it has been recorded from just 3 (1.8%) monads, where it was identified twice as a crop weed and once from an earthen mound on a building site. Great Brome (Anisantha diandra) has proven scarcer still recorded from 2 (1%) of monads, from an arable field and area of recent roadworks respectively, while Rye Brome (Bromus secalinus) has been recorded just once (0.6%) from arable margins at Callerton.

Alien Grasses

A large proportion of the grasses recorded in and around the conurbation occur due to human actions with many attributed to the import of materials, including bird seed and grain. More still occur as garden escapes and as contaminants of amenity seed mixes.

Birdseed and Grain Aliens

Of the birdseed aliens, Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum) has proven the most abundant, recorded from some 19 (12%) monads so far. A key component of most budget seed mixes, it most often occurs as a casual within pavements and disturbed areas close to human habitation and in areas where waterfowl are regularly fed. The same applies also to Six-row Barley (Hordeum vulgare), 7 (4%) monads, and Two-row Barley (Hordeum distichon), 3 (2%) monads, which despite being far more common in cultivation nowadays, has proven itself scarcer in urban habitats than H. vulgare. Perhaps this is due to the make-up of cheaper, imported seed mixes? Millet (Panicum miliaceum), 1 (0.6%) monad, has also been recorded in such situations.

Some urban grasses associated with birdseed also occur unintentionally as contaminants. Of these, the Canary-grass (Phalaris canariensis), 3 (2%) monads, and Cockspur (Echinochloa crus-galli), 4 (2.5%) monads, have proven the most numerous. Both occur in similar settings to those mentioned above. A final species, Green Bristle-grass (Setaria viridis) also appears to owe its occurrence in the city to birdseed, observed in 2 (1.2%) monads so far.

As a final note on our birdseed aliens, last week I encountered my first example of Smooth-brome (Bromus racemosus) within the survey area. Growing within the pavement close to the margins of an urban lake where waterfowl are fed, one can only assume that this too occurred as a contaminant. There are, after all, no historic records of this native grass within the city limits.

Of the species linked to the import and export of arable products, Oat (Avena sativa) is the most widespread and has been recorded now from 10 (6%) monads where it predominately occurs on roadsides, presumably having blown from passing lorries. The occurence of Rye (Secale cereale) in a single monad (0.6%) in Gosforth can also likely be attributed to this.

Garden Escapees

Ornamental grasses are a key part of many gardens in and around Tyneside and while most are well-behaved and reluctant to spread, a select few have been recorded in a wild state. Most are casuals but a few species can now be defined as naturalised.

Of these, Greater Quaking-grass (Briza maxima) has proven the most abundant, recorded from 4 (2.5%) monads so far. Commonly grown as an ornamental annual, it has occurred for several years as a colonist of pavements, wall-tops and garden beds in Heaton and is particularly prolific in the grounds of a local school. Away from here, it has been recorded too from High Heaton, Jesmond and St. Peter’s. A second species, Rescue Brome (Ceratochloa cathartica) appears well naturalised in a single monad at Benwell where it appears to have spread from a garden to colonise an expansive area of ruderal ground. Recorded in 2023, this marked the first occurrence of this impressive grass in Northumberland.

Just a few weeks ago, another horticultural alien was discovered in the city when Chris Barlow stumbled across an impressive patch of Golden Oats (Celtica gigantea) at Big Waters, in the North of the survey area. How this got here is a bit of a mystery as the site is some distance from nearby habitation. One can only assume a stray seed, or perhaps deliberate introduction in this instance.

Other cultivated grasses are far more ethemeral in nature. A fortnight past, Hare’s-tail (Lagurus ovatus) was encountered by Pru Hamed growing in rough ground close to gardens in Heaton – the only record of this attractive annual during the survey so far. Finally, Argentine Needle-grass (Nassella tenuissima) has been recorded from 2 (1%) monads at High Heaton and Woolsington, on both occasions close to mass amenity plantings. Given how popular this one is in the hardy, low maintence displays created around new build estates and industrial complexes, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see much more of it.

Grass Seed

A final two urban grasses recorded in the city can roughly be attributed to grass seed mixes used to restore former earthworks. While it occurs too as a rare casual in other situations, Italian Rye-grass (Lolium multiflorum) is most numerous on landscaped road verges where presumably it is purposely spread for one reason or another. To date, it has been recorded from 7 (4.3%) monads in the conurbation.

Unlike the former species, Hungarian Brome (Bromopsis inermis), recorded from just a single monad thus far, presumably arrives unintentionally as a contaminant of grass seed. I have encountered this species just once growing on the margins of a restored pit heap at Burradon, though there are historic records from elsewhere.

And there we have it, a rather length tour of the urban grasses recorded so far during the project. I freely admit that the numbers shown here may, at present, be somewhat inaccurate. On account of their limited flowering time, grasses are proving a trickly bunch to nail down as part of the flora and as ever, recorder bias no doubt plays a part too. Cock’s-foot for example is much more obvious than Compressed Meadow-grass. So far, it seems I am doing a much better job at accounting for the very common and genuinely rare grasses in the city (I must try harder with those middling ones) but it is nice to see some trends beginning to emerge.

Now I am getting my eye in, there are a few more grasses that should materialise in due course. Despite searching, I have oddly been unable to locate Silver Hair-grass (Aira caryophyllea) and Early Hair-grass (Aira praecox) at any of their pre-2000 sites and have likewise failed miserably in my searches for Downy Oat-grass (Avenula pubescens) and Giant Fescue (Schedonorus giganteus), last reported in 2016. That one, at least, should still be out there while there are undoubtedly more aliens to discover also. Before embarking on this endeavour, I remember seeing a lovely roadside adorned with Foxtail Barley (Hordeum jubatum) but cannot for the life of me remember where…