GRASS GENERA II(Spikelets with Two or More

Florets)

(Exceptions: Panicoid Spikelet)

e.g., Cenchrus, Digitaria, Echinochloa, Eriochloa, Panicum, Paspalum, Setaria, Urochloa

(Exceptions: (Inflorescence with Rames)

e.g., Bothriochloa, Schizachyrium, Sorghum

I) TALL ORNAMENTALS

Cortaderia selloana(Pampas Grass)

Arundo donax(Giant Reed)

II) STOLONIFEROUS MAT-FORMERS

Dasyochloa pulchella(Fluffgrass)

• Spikelets very pubescent• Low, prostrate perennial• Leaf blades white-edged• Stoloniferous

Munroa squarrosa(False Buffalo-Grass)

• All florets in spikelets perfect• Leaves wide, reflexed

III) INFLORESCENCE UNBRANCHED SPIKES

Agropyron(Crested Wheatgrass)

• Spikelets strongly overlapping• Spikelets diverge from rachis at a 40o angle

(Compare with Elymus)

Elymus (Rye Grass)

Elymus (Ryegrass)

• More than one Floret per Spikelet

Elymus (Ryegrass)

(Cespitose or Rhizomatous)

Elymus (Ryegrass)

• Cartilaginous Ligule

Elymus(One Spikelet per Node)

Rhizomatous•E. hispidus (Pubescent

Wheatgrass)•E. lanceolatus (Thickspike Wheatgrass)•E. repens (Quackgrass)•E. smithii (Western Wheatgrass)

Cespitose (Clump-Forming)•E. arizonicus (Arizona Wheatgrass)•E. elongatus (Tall Wheatgrass)•E. spicatus (Bluebunch Wheatgrass)•E. trachycaulus (Wheatgrass)

Elymus(More than One Spikelet per Node)

Rachis Fragile• E. longifolius (Long-Leaved

Squirrel Tail)

Rachis Persistent; Awns Straight• E. glaucus (Blue Wildrye)

Rachis Persistent; Awns Curved• E. canadensis (Canada Wildrye)

Elymus longifolius (= Sitanion hystrix)(Long-leaved Squirrel Tail)

• Common perennial• Fragile Rachis

Scleropogon (Burrograss)

• Stolons

Pleuraphis (Tobosa; Galleta)

• Rhizomatous• Spikelets three at nodes • Apex of glumes, lemmas blunt to dull-pointed

Pleuraphis

P. mutica (Tobosa)Glumes broadest above middle

P. jamesii (Galleta)Glumes broadest at middle

Hilaria berlangeri (Curly Mesquite)

• Plants similar to Pleuraphis, but stoloniferous

IV) INFLORESCENCE WITHSPICIFORM BRANCHES

Bouteloua

• Spicate branches arranged in a raceme• Spicate branches one-sided

Bouteloua (annual)

B. barbata (Six-Weeks Grama)

B. simplex (Mat Grama)

B. aristoides(Needle Grama)

Bouteloua (Perennial)(Spicate branches fifteen or more)

B. curtipendula (Side-oats grama)

Bouteloua (Perennial) (Spicate branches thirteen or fewer)

B. gracilis(blue grama)

B. hirsuta(hairy grama)

B. eriopoda(black grama)

Bouteloua gracilis (Blue Grama)(High Forage Value, Increaser with Grazing)

• Cespitose • Glabrous Internodes

Bouteloua eriopoda (Black Grama)(High Forage Value, Decreaser with Grazing)

• Hairy Lower Internodes• Stoloniferous

Bouteloua dactyloides (=Buchloe dactyloides)Buffalo Grass

Spike of Male Spikelets

Leptochloa(Green Sprangletop)

• Spicate branches arranged in a raceme• Spicate branches two- or more sided

• Spicate branches arranged in an umbel• Florets dimorphic within each spikelet

Chloris (Windmill Grass)

Chloris

*C. virgata (Showy Windmill Grass)

*C. verticillata(Tumble Windmill Grass)

V) INFLORESCENCE A RACEME OR PANICLE

Eragrostis (Lovegrass, Stinkgrass)

Eragrostis

• Hairy Ligule

• Open Sheath

Eragrostis

• Spikelets usually lead/gray• Florets closely imbricate (= closely overlapping)• Lemmas three-nerved• Paleas often persisent on rachilla (i.e., they don’t fall off when lemmas do)

Eragrostis (annual weeds)

*E. cilianensis E. pectinacea

Eragrostis (perennials)

E. intermedia (Plains Lovegrass)E. curvula (Weeping Lovegrass)

Bromus (Bromegrass; Cheatgrass)

Bromus

• Cartilaginous Ligule

• Closed Sheath

Bromus

• Spikelets Bright Green

• Multiple Florets /Spikelet

Bromus – (Annual)

*B. japonicus (Japanese Brome) *B. tectorum (Downy Chess)

Bromus - Perennial

* B. inermis (Smooth Brome)

• Rhizomatous

Bromus – Perennial

*B. cartharticus (Rescue Grass)

• Cespitose•Flattened Spikelets

Bromus – Perennial

B. anomalous (Nodding Brome), B. ciliatus (Fringed Brome)B. frondosus (Weeping Brome), B. porteri (Porter’s Brome)

• Cespitose• Spikelets Not Flattened

*Dactylis (Orchard Grass)

• Compact, Contracted Panicle

Dactylis (Orchard Grass)

• Tall Cartilaginous Ligule

• Closed Sheath

Festuca (Fescue) Poa (Bluegrass)

PoaFestuca

Open Sheath, Cartilaginous Ligule

Festuca (Fescues)

Open Sheath

Cartilaginous Ligule

Festuca

Awn-Tipped Lemmas

Glabrous Florets

Festuca

Leaves flat, wider than 3 mm wide*

F. arundinacea (tall fescue)

F. pratensis (meadow fescue)

•Wide-Leaved Festucas now placed in Schedonorus

Festuca

Leaves rolled, < 3 mm wide

* F. arizonica (Arizona fescue)F. ovina (blue fescue)F. rubra (red fescue)

Poa (Bluegrass; Muttongrass)

Upper “Boat-Shaped” Leaf

Open Sheath;Cartilaginous Ligule

Poa (Bluegrass; Muttongrass)

Pubescent Florets (Usually)

No Awns

Poa

P. pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass)P. compressa (Canada bluegrass)Lawn Grasses

Poa

• P. fendleriana (Muttongrass)

Forest, Woodland Grasses

Koeleria (Junegrass)

Koeleria macrantha

• Inflorescence a contracted panicle

• A perennial cool-season grass found in woodlands and forests at mid- to upper elevations

Vulpia octoflora (Six-Weeks Fescue)

• Inflorescence a narrow raceme or panicle

•A low ANNUAL grass of dry, disturbed land

Vulpia

Enneapogon (Pappusgrass)

• Inflorescence a contracted panicle

• Lemma with multiple cobwebby awns

Enneapogon (Pappusgrass)

• Grass of the Chihuahuan desert

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

Spike of Male Spikelets

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?(Annual; Flowers in March-April)

WHO AM I?

(Stolons)

Grasses with ≥ 2 Florets per Spikelet*

A) Tall Ornamentals: Arundo, Cortaderia

B) Stoloniferous Mat Formers: Dasyochloa, Munroa

C) Inflorescence Unbranched Spikes: Agropyron,Elymus, Pleuraphis, Hilaria

D) Inflorescence with Spiciform Branches: Bouteloua,Chloris, Leptochloa

E) Inflorescence a Raceme of Panicle: Eragrostis, Bromus, Dactylis, Festuca, Poa, Koeleria, Vulpia, Enneapogon

*[Excluded: Panicoid Grasses and Grasses with Rames]