Mystery grass / grain

Keith_Beef

Native
Sep 9, 2003
1,397
280
55
Yvelines, north-west of Paris, France.
I noticed these plants growing along the footpath between my home and town when I got back from holiday.

Here is one example of the plant; it looks like a grass or grain of some sort. This is the tallest of them, about knee height.
20190831-mystery-grain-overall.jpg


A couple of closer views of the seeds
20190831-mystery-grain-seeds-01.jpg


20190831-mystery-grain-seeds-02.jpg


I took off a few of the spikes of seeds and photographed them on a table, using extension tubes (I'm starting to get the hang of using these).
20190831-mystery-grain-seeds-03.jpg


20190831-mystery-grain-seeds-04.jpg


Then I used the little "USB microscope" I got a couple of months ago...
20190831-mystery-grain-seeds-05.jpg


20190831-mystery-grain-seeds-06.jpg


20190831-mystery-grain-seeds-07.jpg


Each seed looks to be about 3mm long.

These are growing outside an apartment building; I wonder if it might be millet or similar, from mixed seed that the people living in the building put out on their balconies for wild birds.
 
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slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
2,158
1,099
Devon
I can see the pics. I don't know my grasses but I would suggest some form of millet, often grown for wild bird food and cover crops.
 

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