Species: Calamagrostis rubescens Buck.

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Calamagrostis rubescens Buck.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Calamagrostis

Species Synonyms:

Calamagrostis fasciculata Kearney

Common Names:

pinegrass
pine reedgrass

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

British Columbia – Saskatchewan – south western Manitoba

Saskatchewan:

central and southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills, Nipawin Provincial Park

Ecoregion:

Cypress Upland, Mid-Boreal Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

open pine or aspen woods

Canada:

open woods, prairies, and banks

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Calamagrostis rubescens is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. No threats are known or anticipated.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

60 - 100 cm tall

Roots:

rhizomes slender, deep, creeping

Stem:

closely spaced, sod-forming or solitary, glabrous

Leaves:

2 – 4 mm broad, flat; sheaths smooth; ligule 1 – 4 mm long, a tuft of hairs

Inflorescence:

panicles 6 – 15 cm long, compact, dense, sometimes interrupted, pale or purplish

Spikelets:

4 – 5 mm long

Florets:

glumes lanceolate to ovate, glabrous; callus hairs 1/3 as long as lemma, lateral tufts 2; lemmas 4.5 mm long, 3 – 5-nerved; lemma awns inserted at the base, geniculate, shorter than the glumes; palea nearly equalling the lemma

Fruits:

caryopsis

CALAMAGROSTIS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Lemma awn geniculate, usually protruding from glumes; callus hairs much shorter than lemma	2
1 Lemma awn straight or nearly so, usually included in glumes; callus hairs usually nearly equal to lemma	4

2 Awn greatly exceeding glumes	C. purpurascens
2 Awn about equalling glumes	3

3 Plants rhizomatous, not caespitose; culms scabrous below the panicle; glumes keeled; spikelets strongly flattened; collar glabrous	C. montanensis
3 Plants tufted, often with short rhizomes; culms smooth below panicle; glumes not keeled; spikelets not strongly flattened; collar pubescent	C. rubescens

4 Panicle loose, open, branches often drooping; blades flat; plants frequently taller than 90 cm	5
4 Panicle contracted; blades flat or involute; plants generally less than 90 cm tall	7

5 Spikelets to 6 mm long; glumes narrow, strongly keeled; awn inserted on the lower third of lemma	C. canadensis var. langsdorfii
5 Spikelets to 4 mm long; glumes rounded on the back, not strongly keeled; awn inserted about the middle of lemma	6

6 Glumes distinctly exceeding the lemma	C. canadensis var. canadensis
6 Glumes shorter than or nearly equal to the lemma	C. canadensis var. macouniana

7 Glumes 3 – 4 mm long; callus hairs about equal to lemma; panicle lax, purplish	C. lapponica
7 Glumes 2 – 3 mm long; callus hairs shorter than lemma; panicle stiff, usually brownish

8 Leaves smooth or sometimes scabrous at tip and on margins, to 4 mm broad, involute; ligules 1 – 3 mm long, entire	C. stricta ssp. stricta
8 Leaves harsh and scabrous, flat, to 8 mm wide; ligules over 3 mm long, lacerate	C. stricta ssp. inexpansa