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Author

Justin Bosler

Common Name(s)

Northern Glyceria, Northern Mannagrass

Electronic links

GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora species treatment as Glyceria arkansana  http://www.kew.org/data/grasses-db/www/imp05085.htm

USDA PLANTS Database as Glyceria arkansana  http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GLAR

Grass Manual on the Web, Utah State University Intermountain Herbarium: http://herbarium.usu.edu/webmanual/

Ecology

Glyceria are perennials that commonly grow in aquatic or semiaquatic areas of the Northern Hemisphere.  They are rarely sufficiently abundant to be important forage species.

Family

Poaceae (Gramineae) grass family

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Flowering period

April through June.

Fruit

Caryopsis red, linear to oblong at maturity, 1.5-2 mm long, 0.5-0.9 mm wide.  Hila about as long as the caryopses.

Geographic distribution

Eastward from eastern Texas, Iowa, and Wisconsin to New England, apparently absent from Florida.

Inflorescences

Panicles 15–60 cm long, 1–3.5 cm wide; branches 3–17 cm, usually erect to strongly ascending, sometimes spreading at anthesis, usually straight, with 1–9 spikelets; pedicels 0.7–1.7 mm.

Leaves

Blades cauline and flat ranging betwen 18-32 cm long, 2-15 mm wide.  Adaxially surface glabrous, while abaxial surface is normally scabrous.

Sheaths are closed and tightly wrapped around culm. 

Ligules on adaxially side of leaf sheath are membranous, 5-16 mm. 

Leaf collar evident.

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Plant and Stem Features

Plants perennial. Culm erect, usually 70-180 cm tall, about 8 mm thick with conspicuous nodes.  Panicles 15–60 cm long, 1–3.5 cm wide; branches 3–17 cm, usually erect to strongly ascending, sometimes spreading at anthesis, usually straight, with 1–9 spikelets; pedicels 0.7–1.7 mm.

References

Allen, Charles M.  1992.  Grasses ofLouisiana: Glyceria (Mannagrass).  2nd ed.  Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society.  Eunice, LA.  130-133.

Barkworth, M. E. and  L. K. Anderton. 2007. Glyceria R. Br. In: Flora North America Editorial Committee. Flora North America North of MexicoOxford University Press. Oxford, New York, etc. Pp. 68-88.  Grass Manual on the Web (Flora North America): http://herbarium.usu.edu/webmanual/

Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. http://www.kew.org/data/grasses-db.html. [accessed 08 November 2006; 15:30 GMT]

Species name and place of publication

Glyceria septentrionalis Hitchcock, Rhodora 8: 211, 1906.

Spikelets

Spikelets mostly10–23 mm long, 1–3 mm wide, cylindrical and terete or slightly laterally compressed at anthesis, rectangular in side view,

Florets 8–16. Glumes elliptic to obovate, apices rounded to acute; lower glumes 1.5–3.7 mm; upper glumes 1.9–5.2 mm; rachilla internodes 1.1–1.8 mm; lemmas 2.4–4.8 mm, veins scabrous or hispidulous, intercostal region scabridulous, scabrous, or hispidulous, midveins extending to within 0.1 mm of the apical margins, apices truncate to obtuse or acute, apical margins crenate to entire; paleas from slightly shorter than to exceeding the lemmas, apices bifid, teeth to 0.2 mm; anthers 3, 0.5–1.8 mm.

Synonyms

Glyceria arkansana Fern., Arkansas mannagrass, is regarded as  Glyceria septentrionalis var. arkansana (Fernald) Steyerm. & Kucera in Barkworth, M. E. and  L. K. Anderton. 2007. Glyceria R. Br. In: Flora North America Editorial Committee. Flora North America North of Mexico Oxford University Press. Oxford, New York , etc. Pp. 68-88. 

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Wetland Indicator Status

OBL