1

Medusahead rye

(Taeniatherum caput-medusae)
Not Known To Occur In Colorado

Medusahead is a winter annual grass. The plant is native to Europe and Asia. It can grow to heights of 6 to 24 inches. Stems are wiry and slender containing a few short leaves. The leaf blades are narrow and rolled in the stalk. The yellowish-green sheen of dense stands is highly visible after other annual grasses turn brown. The flower is a long-awned spike and it has a fibrous root system that is quickly developed allowing it to extract soil moisture deep in the soil profile before most perennials. The seed longevity for Medusahead is at least two years. The site must be monitored for at least four years after the last flowering adult plants have been eliminated and treatments repeated when necessary.

Medusahead rye fact sheet