Glyceria grandis S. Watson var. grandis
reed mannagrass
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
reed mannagrass
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
Map
Distribution of Glyceria grandis var. grandis
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Species Information
General:
Perennial grass from conspicuous rhizomes; stems erect to more or less decumbent, hollow, 90-160 (200) cm tall/long.
Leaves:
Sheaths smooth, closed completely or open for as much as 1 cm; blades 6-15 mm wide, flat, firm, the upper surfaces minutely rough, smooth on the lower surfaces; ligules blunt, nearly entire, 4-9 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an open, loose panicle, 20-35 cm long, the branches numerous, spreading; spikelets loosely (4-) 5- to 6- (7-) flowered, flattened slightly, egg-shaped, about 4.5 mm long and 1.8 mm wide; glumes lanceolate, the lower ones 1.5-1.7 (2) mm long, the upper ones about (2.3) 2.4-2.6 (3) mm long, usually more or less minutely fringed with fine hairs, the margins sometimes slightly irregularly jagged; lemmas prominently 7-nerved, purplish, about 2.1-2.7 mm long, somewhat irregularly jagged at the blunt tips; paleas abruptly notched, the notches wide, V-shaped, or the margins sometimes slightly irregularly jagged, concealed by the lemmas; stamens 3, sometimes 2; anthers mostly 0.5-0.8 mm long.
Habitat and Range
Swamps, lakeshores, streamsides and wet meadows in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in S BC, infrequent northward; N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to ME, MA, VA, OH, IL, IA, NE, NM, AZ and CA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Glyceria maxima subsp. grandis (S. Watson) HultΘn
Glyceria maxima var. americana (Torr.) B. Boivin
Panicularia grandis (S. Watson) Nash