Poison wheat
Chinese Alias: Black wheat, Small tail wheat, Noise wheat
It is listed in the first batch of invasive alien species in China.
Scientific Name: Lolium temulentum L.
Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
Botanical Features: This plant is an annual or biennial herb, typically growing between 50 to 110 cm tall. The stems are sparse and upright. The leaf sheaths are loose and longer than the internodes, with a membranous ligule that is about 1 mm long. The leaves are either smooth or slightly rough. The inflorescence is spike-like, with spikelets containing 4 to 7 flowers. These spikelets are solitary, sessile, and laterally flattened. The first lemma is degenerate, while the second lemma and palea are similar in length or sometimes absent. They have 5 to 9 veins, and the lateral lemmas also have 5 veins. Awns are present just below the tip, ranging from 1 to 2 cm in length. The caryopsis (grain) is oblong, with a wide groove on the ventral side, and it interlocks with the medial malleolus.
Impact on Crops: Poisonous wheat often grows mixed with wheat crops in fields. It is a toxic weed that contains alkaloids in its seeds, which can be harmful to both humans and animals. Especially when immature or mixed into harvested grain during rainy seasons, it becomes highly toxic. As a result, it not only reduces wheat yield but also poses serious health risks to people and livestock.
Geographical Distribution: Native to Europe, this species was introduced to China within the last 50 years. It has been reported in regions such as Northeast China, Northwest China, as well as provinces like Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, and Yunnan.
This plant is documented in the China Plant Atlas database. Its toxicity primarily affects through seeds, and the risk is highest when the seeds are unripe or during wet, rainy conditions. If even 4% of the wheat flour is contaminated with poisonous wheat, it can lead to acute poisoning. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, eye swelling, excessive sleepiness, coma, tremors, paralysis, and in severe cases, death due to central nervous system failure.
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