25 March 2020

Goldentop grass (or Golden dog's-tail[) Lamarckia aurea is an annual herb of the Poaceae or Graminaceae family (grass family) and derives its name from the golden spikelets.

Its distribution area encompasses the desert and subdesert areas that range from the Mediterranean Basin to central Asia. In the Mediterranean area, the species grows on stony or sandy soils, on rocks, walls, and in xerophile grasslands rich in annuals (priority habitat 6220*Pseudo-steppe with grasses and annuals of the Thero-Brachypodietea, 92/43/EEC Directive), from sea level up to 300 metres a.s.l.

In Italy, the Goldentop grass occurs in Liguria and in all central and southern regions, except Marche and Umbria.

The species is very rare in Lazio and present only in the areas of Rome and Colli Albani, and in some of the Ponziane islands (Palmarola, Zannone, Ponza and Gavi).

Lamarckia aurea (L.) Moench