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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE GRASS FAMILY | |||||||||
| The grass family is economically
and ecologically important. Many of the world’s crops are products
of the grasses. In addition, grasses are represented in almost all terrestrial
ecosystems and are an important part of the natural food chain. The grasses have a set of structures unique to the family. These plants can be annual or perennial and are usually herbaceous. The roots are fibrous, but rhizomes or runners may be found in some species. The stems are solitary or tufted, and may be branched. The stems are round with hollow internodes and solid nodes. The leaves are basal or on the stem. The stem leaves are 2-ranked, meaning they are in two vertical rows and are sheathing at the base. A ligule is present where the leaf sheath and the blade meet. The florets are in spikelets which are then arranged into clusters called spikes, racemes, or panicles. The spikelets usually have two glumes at the base and may be one to several-flowered. Sometimes there are sterile florets, which may consist only of the palea and lemma, present above or below the fertile florets. The florets are usually perfect, meaning that they have both male and female parts. The lemma and palea are the two bracts that subtend each floret. The lemma may be awnless or awned from the tip or the back. Each fertile floret has between one and three stamens and one superior ovary with a feathery stigma. The fruit type is a caryopsis or grain and is unique to the grass family. |
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| SPIKE TRISETUM | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Trisetum spicatum | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Spike trisetum grows up to a metre tall from a fibrous root system. The stems are tufted and erect. The leaves can be mostly basal or can be evenly distributed on the stem. The leaves are flat to rolled and are up to 5 mm wide. The inflorescences are branched and are narrow and spike-like. The spikelets are two to five-flowered and appear green, purplish, or tan in colour. The glumes are nearly equal in size. The hardened thickening below the lemma is hairy. The lemma has two teeth at the tip and has a bent awn that it twisted at the base. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| In Saskatchewan, spike trisetum grows in dry, open, sand or gravel woods and clearings. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is found in northern and southwestern Saskatchewan in the Cypress Upland, Athabasca Plain, Tazin Lake Upland, and Selwyn Lake Upland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Spike trisetum is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. It is usually locally numerous within limited areas. No threats are known or anticipated for this species at the present time. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY SPIKE TRISETUM | |||||||||
| * Does the lemma have a bent awn that is twisted
at the base? * Does the lemma have two teeth at the tip? * Is the inflorescence narrow? * Did you find in northern Saskatchewan or in the Cypress Hills? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found spike trisetum! | |||||||||
