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

Glyceria canadensis 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 decumbent at the base

Leaves:

blades 8 – 35 cm long, 3 – 8 mm wide, glabrous to scabrous; sheaths scabrous, keeled; ligules 2 – 6 mm long, membranous

Inflorescence:

panicle 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, ovate to rectangular; upper glumes 2 – 3 mm long, lanceolate; lemmas 2 – 4 mm long, 5 – 7-veined, veins not prominently raised; paleas less than 1 mm long, shorter than lemmas, keeled, apex incurved

Fruits:

caryopsis

GLYCERIA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Spikelets linear, nearly terete, up to 1.8 cm long; palea wing-margined; leaf sheaths strongly compressed and 2-edged	G. borealis
1 Spikelets lanceolate to ovate, 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, scarious margins; panicle to over 40 cm long	G. grandis var. grandis
4 Stamens 2; lemma margins not scarious; panicle less than 20 cm long	G. pulchella