Course: Identifying Grasses Using Vegetative Features

This beginner-intermediate course will help you develop your skills in identifying grasses using vegetative features. You will briefly look at flowering features before diving into the world of vegetative features, and looking for grasses in a variety of habitats alongside an expert tutor.

This course will include:

• Flowering part features (very briefly) – it is expected that you either know these already, or else do not know them but need to learn enough vocabulary to describe more obvious inflorescence features
• Vegetative features of grasses (in detail)
• Practice the use of vegetative keys, including 1) Hubbard and 2) Poland and Clements 3) Hilary Wallace’s ‘A guide to identification using vegetative characters’
• Introduction to indicator species for different grassland habitats
• Tips for identifying species

By the end of this course, you will:

• Have learned the vocabulary to describe the flowering parts and vegetative parts of grass
• Have the experience of using three different keys to identify a grass using vegetative features
• Having visited a variety of habitats you will associate certain species with certain habitats
• Know useful tips for recognising a selection of some of the commoner species of grasses
• If you wish you can go home with a small pressed collection of plants we have found
• Have been introduced to some indicator species
• If of interest, you may also have looked at some of the associated plant species including other monocots and mosses

This course is eligible for a student discount. If you are a current student, please use the discount code BioStudent20 at checkout for 20% off.

Please refer to the Field Studies Council website for further information and to book.