GRASS GENERA II (Spikelets with Two or More Florets)

(Exceptions: Panicoid Spikelet) e.g., Cenchrus, Digitaria, Echinochloa, Eriochloa, Panicum, Paspalum, Setaria, Urochloa

(Exceptions: (Inflorescence with Rames) e.g., Bothriochloa, Schizachyrium, Sorghum

I) TALL ORNAMENTALS

Cortaderia selloana (Pampas Grass)

Arundo donax (Giant Reed)

II) STOLONIFEROUS MAT-FORMERS

Dasyochloa pulchella (Fluffgrass) Spikelets very pubescent Low, prostrate perennial Leaf blades white-edged Stoloniferous

Munroa squarrosa (False Buffalo-Grass) All florets in spikelets perfect Leaves wide, reflexed

III) INFLORESCENCE UNBRANCHED SPIKES

Agropyron (Crested Wheatgrass) Spikelets strongly overlapping Spikelets diverge from rachis at a 40o angle (Compare with Elymus)

Elymus (Rye Grass)

Elymus (Ryegrass) More than one Floret per Spikelet

Elymus (Ryegrass) (Cespitose or Rhizomatous)

Elymus (Ryegrass) Cartilaginous Ligule

Elymus (One Spikelet per Node) Rhizomatous E. hispidus (Pubescent Wheatgrass) E. lanceolatus (Thickspike E. repens (Quackgrass) E. smithii (Western Wheatgrass) Cespitose (Clump-Forming) E. arizonicus (Arizona Wheatgrass) E. elongatus (Tall Wheatgrass) E. spicatus (Bluebunch Wheatgrass) E. trachycaulus (Wheatgrass)

Elymus (More than One Spikelet per Node) Rachis Fragile E. longifolius (Long-Leaved Squirrel Tail) Rachis Persistent; Awns Straight E. glaucus (Blue Wildrye) Rachis Persistent; Awns Curved E. canadensis (Canada Wildrye)

Elymus longifolius (= Sitanion hystrix) (Long-leaved Squirrel Tail) Common perennial Fragile Rachis

Scleropogon (Burrograss) Stolons

Pleuraphis (Tobosa; Galleta) Rhizomatous Spikelets three at nodes Apex of glumes, lemmas blunt to dull-pointed

Pleuraphis P. mutica (Tobosa) Glumes broadest above middle P. jamesii (Galleta) Glumes broadest at middle

Hilaria berlangeri (Curly Mesquite) Plants similar to Pleuraphis, but stoloniferous

IV) INFLORESCENCE WITH SPICIFORM BRANCHES

Bouteloua Spicate branches one-sided Spicate branches arranged in a raceme Spicate branches one-sided

Bouteloua (annual) B. aristoides B. simplex (Needle Grama) B. barbata (Mat Grama) B. barbata (Six-Weeks Grama)

Bouteloua (Perennial) (Spicate branches fifteen or more) B. curtipendula (Side-oats grama)

Bouteloua (Perennial) (Spicate branches thirteen or fewer) B. hirsuta (hairy grama) B. gracilis (blue grama) B. eriopoda (black grama)

Bouteloua gracilis (Blue Grama) (High Forage Value, Increaser with Grazing) Cespitose Glabrous Internodes

Bouteloua eriopoda (Black Grama) (High Forage Value, Decreaser with Grazing) Stoloniferous Hairy Lower Internodes

Bouteloua dactyloides (=Buchloe dactyloides) Buffalo Grass Spike of Male Spikelets

Leptochloa (Green Sprangletop) Spicate branches arranged in a raceme Spicate branches two- or more sided

Chloris (Windmill Grass) Spicate branches arranged in an umbel Florets dimorphic within each spikelet

Chloris *C. virgata (Showy Windmill Grass) *C. verticillata (Tumble Windmill Grass)

V) INFLORESCENCE A RACEME OR PANICLE

Eragrostis (Lovegrass, Stinkgrass)

Eragrostis Hairy Ligule Open Sheath

Eragrostis Spikelets usually lead/gray Florets closely imbricate (= closely overlapping) Lemmas three-nerved Paleas often persisent on rachilla (i.e., they don’t fall off when lemmas do)

Eragrostis (annual weeds) *E. cilianensis E. pectinacea

Eragrostis (perennials) E. curvula (Weeping Lovegrass) E. intermedia (Plains Lovegrass)

Bromus (Bromegrass; Cheatgrass)

Bromus Cartilaginous Ligule Closed Sheath

Bromus Spikelets Bright Green Multiple Florets / Spikelet

Bromus – (Annual) *B. tectorum (Downy Chess) *B. japonicus (Japanese Brome)

Bromus - Perennial Rhizomatous * B. inermis (Smooth Brome)

Bromus – Perennial Flattened Spikelets *B. cartharticus (Rescue Grass) Cespitose Flattened Spikelets *B. cartharticus (Rescue Grass)

Bromus – Perennial Spikelets Not Flattened Cespitose B. anomalous (Nodding Brome), B. ciliatus (Fringed Brome) B. frondosus (Weeping Brome), B. porteri (Porter’s Brome)

*Dactylis (Orchard Grass) Compact, Contracted Panicle

Dactylis (Orchard Grass) Tall Cartilaginous Ligule Closed Sheath

Festuca (Fescue) Poa (Bluegrass)

Open Sheath, Cartilaginous Ligule Poa Festuca

Festuca (Fescues) Open Sheath Cartilaginous Ligule

Festuca Glabrous Florets Awn-Tipped Lemmas

Festuca Leaves flat, wider than 3 mm wide* F. arundinacea (tall fescue) F. pratensis (meadow fescue) Wide-Leaved Festucas now placed in Schedonorus

Festuca * F. arizonica (Arizona fescue) Leaves rolled, F. ovina (blue fescue) F. rubra (red fescue) Leaves rolled, < 3 mm wide

Poa (Bluegrass; Muttongrass) Open Sheath; Cartilaginous Ligule Upper “Boat-Shaped” Leaf

Poa (Bluegrass; Muttongrass) No Awns Pubescent Florets (Usually)

Poa Lawn Grasses P. pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass) P. compressa (Canada bluegrass) Lawn Grasses

Poa Forest, Woodland Grasses P. fendleriana (Muttongrass)

Koeleria (Junegrass)

Koeleria macrantha Inflorescence a contracted panicle A perennial cool-season grass found in woodlands and forests at mid- to upper elevations

Vulpia octoflora (Six-Weeks Fescue) Inflorescence a narrow raceme or panicle A low ANNUAL grass of dry, disturbed land

Vulpia

Enneapogon (Pappusgrass) Inflorescence a contracted panicle Lemma with multiple cobwebby awns

Enneapogon (Pappusgrass) Grass of the Chihuahuan desert

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I? Spike of Male Spikelets

WHO AM I?

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WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

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WHO AM I?

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WHO AM I?

(Annual; Flowers in March-April) WHO AM I? (Annual; Flowers in March-April)

WHO AM I? (Stolons)

Grasses with ≥ 2 Florets per Spikelet* A) Tall Ornamentals: Arundo, Cortaderia B) Stoloniferous Mat Formers: Dasyochloa, Munroa C) Inflorescence Unbranched Spikes: Agropyron, Elymus, Pleuraphis, Hilaria D) Inflorescence with Spiciform Branches: Bouteloua, Chloris, Leptochloa E) Inflorescence a Raceme of Panicle: Eragrostis, Bromus, Dactylis, Festuca, Poa, Koeleria, Vulpia, Enneapogon *[Excluded: Panicoid Grasses and Grasses with Rames]