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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE GRASS FAMILY | ||||||||
| The grass family is economically and
ecologically important. Many of the world’s crops are products of
the grasses. In addition, grasses are represented in almost all terrestrial
ecosystems and are an important part of the natural food chain. The grasses have a set of structures unique to the family. These plants can be annual or perennial and are usually herbaceous. The roots are fibrous, but rhizomes or runners may be found in some species. The stems are solitary or tufted, and may be branched. The stems are round with hollow internodes and solid nodes. The leaves are basal or on the stem. The stem leaves are 2-ranked, meaning they are in two vertical rows and are sheathing at the base. A ligule is present where the leaf sheath and the blade meet. The florets are in spikelets which are then arranged into clusters called spikes, racemes, or panicles. The spikelets usually have two glumes at the base and may be one to several-flowered. Sometimes there are sterile florets, which may consist only of the palea and lemma, present above or below the fertile florets. The florets are usually perfect, meaning that they have both male and female parts. The lemma and palea are the two bracts that subtend each floret. The lemma may be awnless or awned from the tip or the back. Each fertile floret has between one and three stamens and one superior ovary with a feathery stigma. The fruit type is a caryopsis or grain and is unique to the grass family. |
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| NORTHERN BENTGRASS | ||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Agrostis mertensii | ||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | ||||||||
| Northern bentgrass grows up to 40 cm tall. If rhizomes are present, they are very short. The leaves are mostly basal and are only as wide as 2 mm. The margin is commonly rolled under, making the leaves appear narrower. The inflorescence is pyramid-shaped. The spikelets are only 2 to 3 mm long and are purplish in colour. The glumes are 2 to 3 mm long and are nearly equal. The lemma is nearly as long as the glumes and is densely rough hairy. The glumes have a bent awn. The palea is very short or absent. | ||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | ||||||||
| Northern bentrass grows in tundra boulder fields. | ||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | ||||||||
| This plant is found in northern Saskatchewan in the Selwyn Lake Upland and Tazin Lake Upland ecoregions. | ||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | ||||||||
| Northern bentgrass is threatened because of rarity in Saskatchewan. It is regionally restricted to one general region of the province and most local populations are small. No threats are known or anticipated. | ||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY NORTHERN BENTGRASS | ||||||||
| * Is the inflorescence open with the branches spreading? * Is an awn present? * Is the plant less than 40 cm tall? * Did you find in northern Saskatchewan? |
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| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found northern bentgrass! | ||||||||
