OregonFlora: Triglochin maritima vs. Triglochin striata

	Triglochin maritima	Triglochin striata
	seaside arrow-grass	three-ribbed arrow-grass
Habit	Herbs perennial.	Herbs perennial.
Leaves	elliptical in cross section, 22–60 cm × 2–5 mm; ligules entire to notched, 1–2 mm.	5–40 cm × 1–2 mm; elliptical in cross section; ligules entire, 1–2 mm.
Inflorescences	racemes exceeding leaves, 45–130 cm.	racemes conspicuously shorter than or equal to leaves in length, 5–40 cm.
Pedicels	ascending, 2–6 mm.	spreading to ascending, 1–2 mm.
Flowers	tepals 1.5–2 mm, fertile carpels 6.	tepals 1 mm, fertile carpels 3.
Fruits	schizocarps, oblong, 3–5 mm.	schizocarps, globose; up to 2 × 2 mm.
2n	=12, 24, 30, 36, 48, 60, 120, 144.	=18, 24.

	Triglochin maritima	Triglochin striata
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Coastal salt and inland freshwater marshes and moist meadows, especially brackish, saline, or alkaline areas. Flowering Apr–Aug. 0–1700m. BR, BW, CR, ECas, Est, Owy. CA, ID, NV, WA; throughout North America; South America; Asia, Europe. Native. Triglochin concinna and T. maritima are frequently considered the same species; the treatment in Flora of North America synonymizes T. concinna with T. maritima (Haynes and Hellquist 2000). Both species produce a cyanide-containing sugar called triglochinin, which can poison livestock when eaten in large amounts. Production is highest in the spring (Majak et al. 1980), and because the compound remains potent in a dried state, care should be taken to prevent inclusion of young Triglochin in hay bales.	Coastal brackish, alkaline, and freshwater marshes. Flowering Jun–Aug. 0–50 m. Est. CA, WA; south to Mexico, West Indies, and South America; disjunct populations in southeastern US. Native.
Source	Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 289 Rachel Newton	Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 290 Rachel Newton
Sibling taxa	T. concinna, T. palustris, T. scilloides, T. striata	T. concinna, T. maritima, T. palustris, T. scilloides
Synonyms	Triglochin maritimum
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Triglochin striata

seaside arrow-grass

three-ribbed arrow-grass

Habit

Herbs perennial.

Leaves

elliptical in cross section, 22–60 cm × 2–5 mm;

ligules entire to notched, 1–2 mm.

5–40 cm × 1–2 mm; elliptical in cross section;

ligules entire, 1–2 mm.

Inflorescences

racemes exceeding leaves, 45–130 cm.

racemes conspicuously shorter than or equal to leaves in length, 5–40 cm.

Pedicels

ascending, 2–6 mm.

spreading to ascending, 1–2 mm.

Flowers

tepals 1.5–2 mm, fertile carpels 6.

tepals 1 mm, fertile carpels 3.

Fruits

schizocarps, oblong, 3–5 mm.

schizocarps, globose; up to 2 × 2 mm.

=12, 24, 30, 36, 48, 60, 120, 144.

=18, 24.

Triglochin striata

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Coastal salt and inland freshwater marshes and moist meadows, especially brackish, saline, or alkaline areas. Flowering Apr–Aug. 0–1700m. BR, BW, CR, ECas, Est, Owy. CA, ID, NV, WA; throughout North America; South America; Asia, Europe. Native.

Triglochin concinna and T. maritima are frequently considered the same species; the treatment in Flora of North America synonymizes T. concinna with T. maritima (Haynes and Hellquist 2000). Both species produce a cyanide-containing sugar called triglochinin, which can poison livestock when eaten in large amounts. Production is highest in the spring (Majak et al. 1980), and because the compound remains potent in a dried state, care should be taken to prevent inclusion of young Triglochin in hay bales.

Coastal brackish, alkaline, and freshwater marshes. Flowering Jun–Aug. 0–50 m. Est. CA, WA; south to Mexico, West Indies, and South America; disjunct populations in southeastern US. Native.

Source

Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 289
Rachel Newton

Flora of Oregon, volume 1, page 290
Rachel Newton

Sibling taxa

T. concinna, T. palustris, T. scilloides, T. striata

T. concinna, T. maritima, T. palustris, T. scilloides

Synonyms

Triglochin maritimum

Web links