Species: Dichanthelium xanthophysum (Gray) Freckmann

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Dichanthelium xanthophysum (Gray) Freckmann

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Dichanthelium

Species Synonyms:

Panicum xanthophysum Gray

Common Names:

slender rosettegrass
yellow-green panicgrass

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

eastern Saskatchewan – Manitoba – Ontario – Quebec – New Brunswick

Saskatchewan:

eastern Saskatchewan

Ecoregion:

Aspen Parkland, Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Lowland, Mid-Boreal Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

sand barrens on dry prairie slopes and hilltops and in open, sandy pine woods

Canada:

dry prairies

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Dichanthelium xanthophysum is endangered because of rarity in Saskatchewan. It is highly regionally restricted and possible threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

20 – 55 cm

Roots:

rhizomes knotty, to 2 mm thick

Stems:

loosely caespitose, nodes glabrous or sparsely pubescent, internodes all elongated

Leaves:

basal rosettes poorly differentiated, grading into cauline leaves; cauline leaves 2 – 4, 7 – 15 cm long, 7 – 20 mm wide, base tapered or rounded or truncate, yellowish to bluish-green, glabrous or nearly so, prominent veins 7 – 11; sheaths overlapping on upper portion of plant, sparsely to densely pubescent; ligule membranous, 0.3 – 0.5 mm long

Inflorescence:

panicle 7 – 15 cm long, 1 – 5 cm wide, narrowly cylindrical

Spikelets:

9 – 50, 2.5 – 6 mm long, strongly ascending, puberulent to nearly glabrous; lower florets staminate; upper florets mucronate

Florets:

lower glumes 1 – 2 mm long, narrowly triangular

Fruits:

caryopsis

Other:

autumn phase with a few suberect branches from lower nodes, panicles slightly exserted

DICHANTHELIUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Basal leaves similar in shape to cauline leaves	2
1 Basal leaves well-differentiated from cauline leaves	3

2 All cauline leaves 4 – 8 cm long, similar, leaves distributed more or less evenly up the stem	D. wilcoxianum
2 Upper cauline leaves 10 – 20 cm long, distinctly longer than lower leaves, main stem leaves rather prominently basally distributed	D. linearifolium

3 Ligules of hairs; spikelets less than 2.5 mm long	D. acuminatum var. fasciculatum
3 Ligules membranous; spikelets more than 2.5 mm long	4

4 Leaves and spikelets with papillose hairs; panicles slightly longer than wide	D. leibergii
4 Leaves glabrous; spikelets puberulent to almost glabrous; panicles usually more than twice as long as wide	D. xanthophysum