Species: Glyceria canadensis (Michx.) Trin.

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Glyceria canadensis (Michx.) Trin.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Glyceria

Species Synonyms:

Panicularia canadensis (Michx.) Kuntze.

Common Names:

fowl mannagrass
rattlesnake mannagrass

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

east-central Saskatchewan, southeastern Manitoba – Ontario – Quebec – Newfoundland – Nova Scotia

Saskatchewan:

east-central Saskatchewan; Amisk Lake

Ecoregion:

Mid-Boreal Lowland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

open boggy shores

Canada:

damp or wet shores

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Fowl mannagrass is endangered because of extreme rarity in Saskatchewan. It is regionally restricted in the province and is almost always locally sparse. Immediate or probable threats have been identified.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

60 – 150 cm

Roots:

rhizomatous

Stems:

perennial, 2.5 – 5 mm thick, erect, may be curved at the base

Leaves:

blades 8 – 35 cm long, 3 – 8 mm wide, hairless to rough hairy; sheaths rough hairy, boat-shaped; ligules 2 – 6 mm long, membranous

Inflorescence:

branched, 10 – 30 cm long, 10 – 20 cm wide, open and lax, pyramidal, nodding; branches 7 – 20 cm, divergent

Spikelets:

3 – 8 mm long, 3 – 5 mm wide, laterally compressed, 2 – 10-flowered

Florets:

glumes 1-veined; lower glumes 0.5 – 2.5 mm long, oval to rectangular; upper glumes 2 - 3 mm long, lance-shaped; lemmas 2 – 4 mm long, 5 – 7-veined, veins not prominently raised; paleas less than 1 mm long, shorter than lemmas, boat-shaped, tip curved inwards

Fruits:

grain

GLYCERIA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Spikelets linear, nearly round in cross section, up to 1.8 cm long; palea wing-margined; leaf sheaths strongly compressed and 2-edged	G. borealis
1 Spikelets lance-shaped to oval, less than 1 cm long; palea not wing-margined; leaf sheaths not or only slightly compressed	2

2 Lemma nerves not prominently raised; spikelets 3 – 4 mm wide	G. canadensis
2 Lemma nerves prominently raised; spikelets less than 2.5 mm wide	3

3 Glumes at most 1 mm long, upper and lower glumes of different lengths	G. striata
3 Glumes typically 1.5 mm or longer, upper and lower glumes about the same length	4

4 Stamens 3; lemmas with broad, dry and membranous margins; inflorescence to over 40 cm long	G. grandis var. grandis
4 Stamens 2; lemma margins not dry and membranous; inflorescence less than 20 cm long	G. pulchella