About Briza maxima L.
Briza maxima L. is a grass species belonging to the genus Briza. It is native to Northern Africa, Western Asia, and Southern Europe. It has been cultivated or become naturalized in the British Isles, the Azores, Australasia, the western United States, Central and South America, and Hawaii. This species has many common names, including big quaking grass, great quaking grass, greater quaking-grass, large quaking grass, blowfly grass, rattlesnake grass, shelly grass, rattle grass, and shell grass. It reaches a maximum height of 60 centimeters. Its spikelets are similar in appearance to those of the unrelated species Bromus briziformis. Both the seeds and leaves of Briza maxima L. are edible.
