Trisetum flavescens
Encyclopedia
Trisetum flavescens is a species
of grass in the Poaceae
family. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It can be found elsewhere, such as sections of North America, where it was introduced
as a rangeland
grass for grazing
. It now exists in the wild as a common weed
. It is a perennial grass growing in clumps up to 60 to 80 centimeters tall, and known to exceed one meter at times. The inflorescence
is a narrow panicle which is greenish yellow to purple when new and ages to bright golden yellow.
This grass is noted for being toxic to livestock
, causing calcinosis
, the deposition of calcium in soft tissues including muscle and tendon
s, the heart and large arteries
including the aorta
. Cattle
suffer difficulty in moving and standing and reduced milk production. Goat
s suffer heart murmur
s and arrhythmias, weight loss, difficulty in walking, kneeling, and rising, and reduced milk production. Horse
s suffer tenderness in tendons and ligament
s, weight loss, and problems with movement.
The grass is susceptible to yellow oat grass mosaic virus (YOgMV), a virus of genus Tritimovirus.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of grass in the Poaceae
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
family. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It can be found elsewhere, such as sections of North America, where it was introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
as a rangeland
Rangeland
Rangelands are vast natural landscapes in the form of grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts. Types of rangelands include tallgrass and shortgrass prairies, desert grasslands and shrublands, woodlands, savannas, chaparrals, steppes, and tundras...
grass for grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
. It now exists in the wild as a common weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
. It is a perennial grass growing in clumps up to 60 to 80 centimeters tall, and known to exceed one meter at times. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a narrow panicle which is greenish yellow to purple when new and ages to bright golden yellow.
This grass is noted for being toxic to livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
, causing calcinosis
Calcinosis
-Dystrophic calcification:The most common type of calcinosis is dystrophic calcification. This type of calcification can occur as a response to any soft tissue damage, including that involved in implantation of medical devices.-Metastatic calcification:...
, the deposition of calcium in soft tissues including muscle and tendon
Tendon
A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...
s, the heart and large arteries
Artery
Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This blood is normally oxygenated, exceptions made for the pulmonary and umbilical arteries....
including the aorta
Aorta
The aorta is the largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it branches off into two smaller arteries...
. Cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
suffer difficulty in moving and standing and reduced milk production. Goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s suffer heart murmur
Heart murmur
Murmurs are extra heart sounds that are produced as a result of turbulent blood flow that is sufficient to produce audible noise. Most murmurs can only be heard with the assistance of a stethoscope ....
s and arrhythmias, weight loss, difficulty in walking, kneeling, and rising, and reduced milk production. Horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s suffer tenderness in tendons and ligament
Ligament
In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...
s, weight loss, and problems with movement.
The grass is susceptible to yellow oat grass mosaic virus (YOgMV), a virus of genus Tritimovirus.