. ▁The ▁specific ▁ep ith et ▁ ▁is ▁Latin ▁for ▁' wo olly ' ▁which ▁describes ▁the ▁plant ' s ▁hair y ▁texture . ▁Common ▁names ▁include ▁York shire ▁fog , ▁tu ft ed ▁grass , ▁and ▁me adow ▁soft ▁grass . ▁In ▁North ▁America , ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁an ▁invas ive ▁species , ▁names ▁include ▁vel vet ▁grass ▁and ▁common ▁vel vet ▁grass . ▁ ▁In ▁parts ▁of ▁northern ▁Europe ▁the ▁grass ▁is ▁a ▁common ▁native ▁species ▁and ▁a ▁hard y ▁past ure ▁grass . ▁ ▁Character istics ▁and ▁hy br ids ▁ ▁Hol cus ▁lan atus ▁has ▁vel v ety ▁grey - green ▁leaves . ▁The ▁st ems ▁are ▁round . ▁The ▁bases ▁of ▁the ▁st ems ▁are ▁white ▁with ▁p ink ▁stri pes ▁or ▁ve ins ; ▁this ▁character ▁has ▁been ▁called ▁the ▁" st ri py ▁py j am as ". ▁The ▁infl ores c ence ▁is ▁robust ▁and ▁often ▁t ing ed ▁pur ple . ▁It ▁produces ▁a ▁large ▁amount ▁of ▁seed ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁rapid ▁colon iser ▁of ▁dist urbed ▁ground . ▁It ▁pre fers ▁wet ter ▁ground ; ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁seen ▁around ▁d rain age ▁d itch es . ▁ ▁The ▁lig ule ▁is ▁ ▁long , ▁bl unt , ▁and ▁hair y . ▁ ▁This ▁species ▁can ▁be ▁distinguished ▁from ▁H . ▁m oll is ▁by ▁the ▁be ard less ▁nodes ▁on ▁its ▁cul m , ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁rh iz om es , ▁and ▁the ▁a wn ▁becoming ▁hook ed ▁when ▁dry ▁and