Taxonomy of Grasses Exam 2

Calamovilfa longifolia

praire sandreed, perennial, creeping rhizomes, open sheaths, 1 floret per spikelet, no awns, narrow to spreading panicle, callus hairs length of lemmas, glabrous lemmas, sandy prairies and grasslands

Spartina gracilis

alkali cordgrass, slender plants, flat involute blades, one sided panicles, perennial, strongly rhizomatous, hairy ligules with membranous base, spikelets with 1 floret, moist alkaline soils

Sporobolus

dropseed, annual or perennial, open ciliate sheaths, hairy ligule, open to spikelike panicle, spikelets with one floret

Blepharoneuron tricholepis

perennial bunchgrass, open to contracted panicle, silky hairs covering keel and marginal nerves of lemmas

Lycurus phleoides

perennial bunchgrass, white midrib under leaves, spikelike panicle, paired spikelets with awns

Muhlenbergia

one floret per spikelet or several, spikelike to open panicles, awnless or awned, perennial or annual

Cynodon dactylon

flat blades, hairy ligules, perennial, digitate one sided panicle, spikelets with one floret, disturbed areas

Chloris virgata

annual, tufted, awns, feathery appearance, membranous ligule, digitate panicle at terminal,

Chloris verticillata

perrennial, tufted, levels of digitate panicles, awns, membranous ligule,

Bouteloua gracilis

perennial, short rhizomes, spikelike branches (eyelashes) panicle, hairy ligules,

Distichlis spicata

Strongly rhizomatous, extremely common in saline parts of our area (seen on
numerous field trips) Unisexual spikelets with 8-12 florets per spikelet

Enneapogon

perrenial, open sheaths, hairy ligules, spikelike panicle, lemma with 9 plumose awns

Hilaria jamesii

3 spikelet clusters per node, zig zag rachis, perennial, open sheath, membranous ligule, spikelet clusters surrounded by long white hairs, strongly rhizomanous, involute blades

Munroa squarrosa

Spreading annual, inflorescence hidden in leaf nodes, lemma with tufted hairs on
nerve

Erioneuron pilosum

perennial, open sheaths, hairy ligules, short panicles, laterally compressed, hairy calluses, 3 veined lemmas, awned

Eragrostis cilianensis

annual, glands below nodes or leaves sometimes, condensed to open panicle, 10-40 florets per spikelet

Glyceria striata

perennial, rhizamatous, open panicles, 2 parallel nerves on lemma that don’t reach the tip, no awns, 3-7 florets per spikelet

Melica spectabilis

perennial, short rhizomes, membranous ligules, narrow panicle hanging on one side, corms present

Bromus tectorum

annual, very invasive, drooping panicle, awned, hairy callus

Bromus

annual to perennial, sheaths closed nearly to top, membranous ligules, flat blades, panicles, large spikelets (greater than a cm)

Aegilops cylindrica

annual, open sheaths, membranous ligule, 2 sided spike, 1 per node, cylindrical spikes, recessed spikelets, awns,

Eremopyrum triticeum

annual, flat wheatgrass looking inflorescence, glumes have 1 vein and 2 keeled

Secale cereale

annual, glumes shorter than lemmas, open sheaths, membranous ligules, 2 sided spike, long awns, 1 spikelet per node

Triticum aestivum

annual, open sheath, membranous ligule, 2 sided spike, long awns

Elymus cinereus

perrenial bunchgrass, 2-7 feet tall, dense 2 sided spikes, awnless to short awned, stiff plant, ribbed blades

Agropyron cristatum

perrenial, open sheaths, auricles present, membranous ligules, tall 2 sided spikes in a wheatgrass fashion

Thinopyrum ponticum

perennial, awnless, rounded glumes, 2 sided spike with wheat like structure on each side

Hordeum vulgare

annual, barley, long awns, fat spikes, membranous ligules

Hordeum jubatum

perennial, bushy awns, wide spikes,

Oryzopsis hymenoides

perennial, large open panicle with distinct, oval like florets, indian ricegrass

Stipa neomexicana

perennial, hairs all along the awns, long awns, involute blades, hairy lemmas, panicle, curly looking, new mexico feathergrass

Stipa comata

no hairy awns, hairy lemmas, long awns, needle and thread grass

X Stiporyzopsis bloomeri

indian ricegrass and western needlegrass, perennial, open panicle, hairy lemmas, mostly sterile, awns