Paniculate Eastern Grass Species

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by Eyerah, Jul 23, 2015.

  1. Eyerah

    Eyerah Active Member

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    Having trouble keying out this grass. Found in a woodland on a large island in Lake of the Woods (E Manitoba, NW Ontario, N Minnesota etc.).

    Keys to calamagrostis canadensis, but it just doesn't seem like this species to me.

    The leaves are about 8 mm wide, flat lax. From scaly rhizomes with short scales, attached photo. The ligule is almost 1mm long, membranous and lacerate. The panicles are about 15 mm long, with strongly appressed branches.

    The photo that I am attaching of the flowers includes the glumes (top) and the floret (bottom). The floret is bearded, and the glumes are supper distinct; long-narrow-lanceolate with hyaline margins and a strong dark green midvein. Hopefully these spikelet characters help someone nail this.

    Maybe it is just a poorly developed CalaCan? I don't know.

    Thank You!
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Andrey Zharkikh

    Andrey Zharkikh Well-Known Member 10 Years

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  3. Chip

    Chip Member

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    I have definitely come across CALACAN with really funky lanceolate glumes, lemmas etc and ranging from big fluffy robust panicles to something like you have there. It's insanely variable. I can't really see an awn on the back of the lemma though which is concerning. Andrey, the photos in your link look a little off for C. canadensis. Seems a little closer to Deschampsia to me. Never known a Calamagrostis to have more than a single floret.
     
  4. Andrey Zharkikh

    Andrey Zharkikh Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    I have Deschampsia, too:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/9491806378
    It has all spikelets with two florets and without a beard of stiff hairs.
    Most of spikelets of Calamagrostis are single-flowered. The two-flowered one that I found is rather an aberration.
    (The Intermountain Flora mentioned for C. canadensis: "Spikelets usually with only one floret", and for C. purpurascence: "Spikelets 1- or rarely 2-flowered".)
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2015
  5. Andrey Zharkikh

    Andrey Zharkikh Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Last edited: Jul 23, 2015
  6. Chip

    Chip Member

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    Oh, sorry Andrey. I think I neglected to scroll down. Those florets definitely look more like Calamagrostis. I still don't know if I would say C. canadensis though as it normally has callus hairs which are longer or equal in length to the lemma.
     
  7. Eyerah

    Eyerah Active Member

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    Has anyone seen Muhlenbergia mexicana? This grass keys to it in Chadde's Minesota flora. The description is a good fit, but the habitat description is all off. I found this in an prairie upland, and the description makes M. mexicana sound like a wetland grass..
     
  8. Eyerah

    Eyerah Active Member

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    I came to a final conclusion (In case anyone follows): Muhlenbergia sylvatica.

    Thanks everyone!
     

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