Darnel
CR

Darnel

Lolium temulentum

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: iNaturalist: (c) Ori Fragman-Sapir, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ori Fragman-Sapir

Overview

Lolium temulentum, typically known as darnel, poison darnel, darnel ryegrass or cockle, is an annual plant of the genus Lolium within the family Poaceae. The plant stem can grow up to one meter tall, with inflorescence in the ears and purple grain. It has a cosmopolitan distribution.

Darnel (Lolium temulentum) has experienced severe population declines primarily due to modern agricultural practices and herbicide use that have eliminated this former crop weed from most of its historical range. The species was once widespread as a weed in cereal crops but intensive farming methods and effective weed control have reduced it to critically low numbers across Europe and other regions where it was previously common.

Threat summary

Habitat

TERRESTRIAL· majorTERRESTRIAL· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Poaceae

CR

Ekmanochloa subaphylla

Unknown
CR

Arthrostylidium distichum

Unknown
CR

Aristida fragilis

Unknown
CR

Arthrostylidium cubense

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Darnel classified as Critically Endangered?
Darnel is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Darnel (Lolium temulentum) has experienced severe population declines primarily due to modern agricultural practices and herbicide use that have eliminated this former crop weed from most of its historical range. The species was once widespread as a weed in cereal crops but intensive farming methods and effective weed control have reduced it to critically low numbers across Europe and other regions where it was previously common.
Where does Darnel live?
Darnel occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Darnel?
The main threats to Darnel are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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