Species: Danthonia unispicata (Thurb.) Munro ex Macoun

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Danthonia unispicata (Thurb.) Munro ex Macoun

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Danthonia

Species Synonyms:

none

Common Names:

onespike oatgrass

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia – southern Alberta – southwestern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills – Lower Frenchman River

Ecoregion:

Cypress Upland, Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist draws in upland fescue and tall mixed-grass prairies

Associated Species:

ballhead sandwort, june grass, selaginella, small leaf pussytoes, western wheatgrass

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Onespike oatgrass is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. It is only somewhat regionally restricted and most local populations are small. Possible threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

15 – 25 cm

Roots:

fibrous

Stems:

tufted, separating at the nodes at maturity

Leaves:

blades 3 – 8 cm long, 1 – 3 mm wide, flat, light green, long hairy; sheaths long-hairy

Inflorescence:

reduced to a single spikelet, rarely 2 or 3; flower stalks stiff, appressed

Spikelets:

1 – 2 cm long

Flowers:

glumes 1 – 1.2 cm long; hardened thickening at base of lemma long-hairy; lemma 3 – 10 mm long, long-hairy on margins, otherwise hairless; lemma awn 6 – 8 mm long

Fruits:

grain

DANTHONIA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Lemmas 2.5 – 6 mm long, hairy	D. spicata
1 Lemmas 3 – 11 mm long, hairy or hairless	2

2 Lower inflorescence branches stiff; flower stalks shorter than to as long as spikelets	3
2 Lower inflorescence branches flexible; flower stalks generally longer than spikelets	4

3 Spikelets 1 (rarely 2); lemmas 5.5 – 11 mm; mature stems separating at the nodes, rarely more than 25 cm tall	D. unispicata
3 Spikelets 5 – 10 in a branched inflorescence; lemmas 3 – 6 mm long; mature stems not separating at the nodes, usually more than 25 cm tall	D. intermedia

4 Uppermost stem leaves divergent at maturity; inflorescence narrow; glumes about 1 cm long	D. californica
4 Uppermost stem leaves erect to ascending; inflorescence branched; glumes about 2 cm long	D. parryi