Living Landscapes

GRASSES OF THE COLUMBIA BASIN OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Heather Stewart, Richard Hebda
Table of Contents
Glossary

Picture Key to Major Groups
Adapted from Douglas et al. 1994; Pojar and MacKinnon 1994

Flowerhead a spike (no branches or very short branches.....Group 1

Agropyron fragile

agropyron

Flowerhead with branches (they may be open and spread or pressed close to the flowerhead axis),

Bromus vulgaris

bromus

Each spikelet has one flower (fertile flowers; may have additional sterile flowers).........................................................................................Group 2

Agrostis scabra

agrostis

Each spikelet has two, to many flowers..................................Group 3

Poa arctica

poa

Glumes shorter than the first flower..............................subgroup 3a

Poa alpina

poa

Glumes equal to or longer than the first flow................subgroup 3b

Danthonia intermedia

danthonia

Key to Genera

Group 1 (Flowerhead a spike or several spikes)

spike or spikes are cylindrical and bristly or feathery

1a. Flowerhead consists of several spikes.	2
2a. Spikes not branching, but with spikelets on one side of the axis	3
3a. Spikelet with one perfect flower and several modified flowers	Bouteloua
3b. Spikelets without modified flowers	Spartina
2b. Several branching spikes with spikelets along the branches	4
4a. Spikelets awnless	Digitaria
4b. Spikelets with long, bent awns	Schizachyrium

1b. One spike with spikelets around the axis (not only on one side) 5

5a. Annual 6

6a. Spikelets of two types that look different from each other. (One sterile, one fertile) Cynosurus

6b. All spikelets similar at each node 7

7a. Bristles below the flowers Setaria

7b. Awns, not bristles on the lemmas or glumes 8

8a. Spikelet one-flowered Polypogon

8b. Spikelets multiflowered 9

9a. Two spikelets at each node; glumes keeled Triticum

9b. One spikelet at each node; glumes rounded across the back Secale

5b. Perennia 10

10a. Spikelets easily observed as two or more at each node 11

11a. Spikelets three at each node, consisting of two sterile, one fertile spikelet Hordeum

11b. Two or more fertile spikelets at each node Elymus

10b.Flowerhead is large and feathery with spikelets obscured by extremely long, silky hairs Phragmites

spike is cylindrical and not bristly

1a. Annual; two spikelets at each node; glumes keeled Triticum

1b. Perennial 2

2a. Each spikelet has one flower 3

3a. Glumes noticeably broad, round, not hairy on the glume keel Beckmannia

3b. Glumes broad with keel fringed with hairs

4a. Glumes tipped with stiff awns; as well as on the keel with fringe of hairs Phleum

4b. Glumes without stiff awn, but lemma has a bent awn Alopecurus

2b. Each spikelet has several flowers

5a. Glumes as long or slightly shorter than the first flower Koeleria

5b. Glumes shorter than the first flower 6

6a. Plants tufted Elymus

6b. Plants with rhizomes, leaf blades prominently ribbed Leymus

spike is not cylindrical, but appears as a series of flattened spikelets along the axis

1a. Several spikelets per node

2a. Flowerheads consist of all male spikelets or all female spikelets; small branches may be observed Distichlis

2b. Flowerheads consist of sterile flowers,anthers do not open X Elymordeum

1b. One spikelet per node 3

3a. Spikelet with narrow side facing the axis Lolium

3b. Spikelet with broad side against the axis 4

4a. Spikelet length more than three times spike internode length Agropyron

4b. Spikelet length one to three times the length of the internode 5

5a. Glumes lance-shaped with a sharp point, stiff and shorter than the spikelets but longer than 5 mm Pascopyrum

5b. Glumes oval-shaped, or blunt lance-shaped but shorter than 5mm 6

6a.Glumes stiff, brittle and blunt Thinopyrum

6b. Glumes flexible, acute to awned 7

7a. Spikelets spread out along the axis, scarcely reaching the base of the spikelet above Pseudoroegneria

7b. Spikelets closely spaced, usually reaching midlength of the spikelet immediately above Elymus

Group 2 (Flowered branched; branches may be open or pressed against the flowerhead axis; each spikelet has one flower)

1a. Lemma hard or like a thick membrane (hard as a fingernail 2

2a. Awns split into three branches Aristida

2b. Awns unbranched 3

3a. Callus sharp and 1-6 mm long; greater than 1/5 the length of the flower; awns 4-30 cm long Stipa (Hesperostipa)

3b. Callus shorter not as sharp; less than 1/5 the length of the flower 4

4a. Stem leaves less than 1 cm long; basal leaf blades green over winter Oryzopsis

4b. Stem leaves longer than 1 cm; basal leaves drying over winter 5

5a. Flowers are compressed; callus 0.1-0.6 mm long, rounded Piptatherum

5b. Flowers rounded to slightly compressed; callus 0.2 -2 mm pointed but not sharp Stipa (Achnatherum)

1b. Lemmas membrane-like (not hard) 6

6a. Glumes equaling or longer than the first flower 7

7a. Glumes unequal in length; lemmas one to three nerved, awnless Sporobolus

7b. Glumes nearly equal; lemmas three to five nerved 8

8a. Lemmas awned 9

9a. Awn arising from a minutely cleft tip Muhlenbergia

9b. Awn arising from the back or just below the tip, awn 5.5 mm long Apera

8b. Lemmas unawned or minutely awned Cinna

10a. Callus obviously bearded Calamagrostis

10b. Callus of flower minutely bearded or not at al Agrostis

6b. Glumes shorter than the first flower 11

11a. Glumes sharply pointed and callus bearded Calamovilfa

11b. Glumes blunt or rounded 12

12a. Glumes less than half the length of the first lemma 13

13a. Lemma nerves parallel, not converging toward the blunt tip Catabrosa

13b. Lemma nerves converging toward a rounded or slightly pointed tip Panicum

12b. Glumes almost as long as the first flower, but very dissimilar in shape; lemma nerves not parallel Sphenopholis

Group 3 (Flowerhead branched; each spikelet has two to many flowers)

Subgroup 3a. Glumes shorter than the first flower

1a. Callus of the flower bearded 2

2a. Lemmas awnless 3

3a. Spikelets less than 10 mm long Poa

3b. Spikelets greater than10 mm long Scholochloa

2b. Lemmas awned Schizachne

1b. Callus of the flowers not bearded 4

4a. Lemmas keeled

5a. Spikelets strongly compressed, crowded in dense, one-sided flowerhead Dactylis

5b. Spikelets compressed but not as above; lemmas unawned or awned from a cleft tip Bromus

4b. Lemmas rounded on the back and spikelets not strongly compressed 6

6a. Glumes papery; stems may be bulblike at the base Melica

6b. Glumes not papery 7

7a. Nerves of the lemma parallel; not meeting at the tip 8

8a. Lemma nerves barely visible, usually five Puccinellia

8b. Lemma nerves prominently ridged, usually five to seven 9

9a. Leaf sheaths open their edges free and overlapping Torreychloa

9b. Leaf sheaths (upper ones) closed for entire length Glyceria

7b. Nerves of the lemma converging or meeting at the tip 10

10a. Lemmas sharply pointed and awned tipped; leaf sheaths open 11

11a. Plants annual Vulpia

11b. Plants perennial Fescue

10b. Lemmas not so sharply pointed and, if awned from a cleft in the tip 12

12a. Spikelets greater than 15 mm long; lemmas if awned ,from a cleft tip Bromus

12b. Spikelets less than 15 mm long, lemmas awnless Poa

Subgroup 3b. Glumes are equal to or longer than the first flower

1a. Lemmas awnless 2

2a. Flowerhead with a distinct pyramid shape and few spikelets mostly at the ends of long branches Hierochloe

2b. Flowerhead with branches densely covered with spikelets right to the base of the branch Phalaris

1b. Lemmas awned 3

3a. Lemmas awned from the tip, 4

4a. Lemma awns arising from between two lobes at the tip Danthonia

4b. Lemma awns arising from a narrow pointed tip Vulpia

3b. Lemmas awned from the back rather than from the tip 5

5a. Spikelets large; glumes 8-30 mm long Avena

5b. Spikelets small; glumes 2-9 mm long 6

6a. Lemma awns attached above the middle closer to the tip..... Trisetum

6b. Lemma awns attached below the middle 7

7a. Plants delicate annual; spikelet axis not extended beyond the upper flower Aira

7b. Plants perennial; spikelet axis extended beyond the upper flower as a small projection 8

8a. Leaf blades flat; spikelets purplish Vahlodea

8b. Leaf blades folded or inrolled; spikelets greenish or tawny Deschampsia

5a. Annual	6
6a. Spikelets of two types that look different from each other. (One sterile, one fertile)	Cynosurus
6b. All spikelets similar at each node	7
7a. Bristles below the flowers	Setaria
7b. Awns, not bristles on the lemmas or glumes	8
8a. Spikelet one-flowered	Polypogon
8b. Spikelets multiflowered	9
9a. Two spikelets at each node; glumes keeled	Triticum
9b. One spikelet at each node; glumes rounded across the back	Secale

5b. Perennia	10
10a. Spikelets easily observed as two or more at each node	11
11a. Spikelets three at each node, consisting of two sterile, one fertile spikelet	Hordeum
11b. Two or more fertile spikelets at each node	Elymus
10b.Flowerhead is large and feathery with spikelets obscured by extremely long, silky hairs	Phragmites

1a. Annual; two spikelets at each node; glumes keeled	Triticum
1b. Perennial	2
2a. Each spikelet has one flower	3
3a. Glumes noticeably broad, round, not hairy on the glume keel	Beckmannia
3b. Glumes broad with keel fringed with hairs
4a. Glumes tipped with stiff awns; as well as on the keel with fringe of hairs	Phleum
4b. Glumes without stiff awn, but lemma has a bent awn	Alopecurus
2b. Each spikelet has several flowers
5a. Glumes as long or slightly shorter than the first flower	Koeleria
5b. Glumes shorter than the first flower	6
6a. Plants tufted	Elymus
6b. Plants with rhizomes, leaf blades prominently ribbed	Leymus

1a. Several spikelets per node
2a. Flowerheads consist of all male spikelets or all female spikelets; small branches may be observed	Distichlis
2b. Flowerheads consist of sterile flowers,anthers do not open	X Elymordeum

1b. One spikelet per node	3
3a. Spikelet with narrow side facing the axis	Lolium
3b. Spikelet with broad side against the axis	4
4a. Spikelet length more than three times spike internode length	Agropyron
4b. Spikelet length one to three times the length of the internode	5
5a. Glumes lance-shaped with a sharp point, stiff and shorter than the spikelets but longer than 5 mm	Pascopyrum
5b. Glumes oval-shaped, or blunt lance-shaped but shorter than 5mm	6
6a.Glumes stiff, brittle and blunt	Thinopyrum
6b. Glumes flexible, acute to awned	7
7a. Spikelets spread out along the axis, scarcely reaching the base of the spikelet above	Pseudoroegneria
7b. Spikelets closely spaced, usually reaching midlength of the spikelet immediately above	Elymus

1a. Lemma hard or like a thick membrane (hard as a fingernail	2
2a. Awns split into three branches	Aristida
2b. Awns unbranched	3
3a. Callus sharp and 1-6 mm long; greater than 1/5 the length of the flower; awns 4-30 cm long	Stipa (Hesperostipa)
3b. Callus shorter not as sharp; less than 1/5 the length of the flower	4
4a. Stem leaves less than 1 cm long; basal leaf blades green over winter	Oryzopsis
4b. Stem leaves longer than 1 cm; basal leaves drying over winter	5
5a. Flowers are compressed; callus 0.1-0.6 mm long, rounded	Piptatherum
5b. Flowers rounded to slightly compressed; callus 0.2 -2 mm pointed but not sharp	Stipa (Achnatherum)
1b. Lemmas membrane-like (not hard)	6

6a. Glumes equaling or longer than the first flower	7
7a. Glumes unequal in length; lemmas one to three nerved, awnless	Sporobolus
7b. Glumes nearly equal; lemmas three to five nerved	8
8a. Lemmas awned	9
9a. Awn arising from a minutely cleft tip	Muhlenbergia
9b. Awn arising from the back or just below the tip, awn 5.5 mm long	Apera

8b. Lemmas unawned or minutely awned	Cinna
10a. Callus obviously bearded	Calamagrostis
10b. Callus of flower minutely bearded or not at al	Agrostis

6b. Glumes shorter than the first flower	11
11a. Glumes sharply pointed and callus bearded	Calamovilfa
11b. Glumes blunt or rounded	12
12a. Glumes less than half the length of the first lemma	13
13a. Lemma nerves parallel, not converging toward the blunt tip	Catabrosa
13b. Lemma nerves converging toward a rounded or slightly pointed tip	Panicum
12b. Glumes almost as long as the first flower, but very dissimilar in shape; lemma nerves not parallel	Sphenopholis

1a. Callus of the flower bearded	2
2a. Lemmas awnless	3
3a. Spikelets less than 10 mm long	Poa
3b. Spikelets greater than10 mm long	Scholochloa
2b. Lemmas awned	Schizachne

1b. Callus of the flowers not bearded	4
4a. Lemmas keeled
5a. Spikelets strongly compressed, crowded in dense, one-sided flowerhead	Dactylis
5b. Spikelets compressed but not as above; lemmas unawned or awned from a cleft tip	Bromus
4b. Lemmas rounded on the back and spikelets not strongly compressed	6
6a. Glumes papery; stems may be bulblike at the base	Melica
6b. Glumes not papery	7
7a. Nerves of the lemma parallel; not meeting at the tip	8
8a. Lemma nerves barely visible, usually five	Puccinellia
8b. Lemma nerves prominently ridged, usually five to seven	9
9a. Leaf sheaths open their edges free and overlapping	Torreychloa
9b. Leaf sheaths (upper ones) closed for entire length	Glyceria

7b. Nerves of the lemma converging or meeting at the tip	10
10a. Lemmas sharply pointed and awned tipped; leaf sheaths open	11
11a. Plants annual	Vulpia
11b. Plants perennial	Fescue
10b. Lemmas not so sharply pointed and, if awned from a cleft in the tip	12
12a. Spikelets greater than 15 mm long; lemmas if awned ,from a cleft tip	Bromus
12b. Spikelets less than 15 mm long, lemmas awnless	Poa

1a. Lemmas awnless	2
2a. Flowerhead with a distinct pyramid shape and few spikelets mostly at the ends of long branches	Hierochloe
2b. Flowerhead with branches densely covered with spikelets right to the base of the branch	Phalaris

1b. Lemmas awned	3
3a. Lemmas awned from the tip,	4
4a. Lemma awns arising from between two lobes at the tip	Danthonia
4b. Lemma awns arising from a narrow pointed tip	Vulpia

3b. Lemmas awned from the back rather than from the tip	5
5a. Spikelets large; glumes 8-30 mm long	Avena
5b. Spikelets small; glumes 2-9 mm long	6
6a. Lemma awns attached above the middle closer to the tip.....	Trisetum
6b. Lemma awns attached below the middle	7
7a. Plants delicate annual; spikelet axis not extended beyond the upper flower	Aira
7b. Plants perennial; spikelet axis extended beyond the upper flower as a small projection	8
8a. Leaf blades flat; spikelets purplish	Vahlodea
8b. Leaf blades folded or inrolled; spikelets greenish or tawny	Deschampsia