Anthoxanthum odoratum
Anthoxanthum monticola
flouve odorante, foin d'odeur, large sweet grass, sweet vernal grass, vernal sweetgrass
alpine sweet grass, hierochloé alpine
(10) 25-60(100) cm, erect, simple or sparingly branched.
20-55(75) cm.
(3) 4-14 cm, the spikelets congested;
lowermost branches 10-25 mm;
pedicels 0.5-1 mm, pubescent.
1-8.5 cm long, 1.2-2 cm wide, with (3)10-20(35) spikelets.
6-10 mm;
lower glumes 3-4 mm;
upper glumes 8-10 mm;
sterile florets 3-4 mm, awn of the first floret 2-4 mm, awn of the second floret 4-9 mm, equaling or only slightly exceeding the upper glumes;
bisexual florets 1-2.5 mm;
anthers 2, (2.9)3.5-4.8(5.5) mm.
5-8 mm, tawny;
rachilla internodes about 0.1 mm, glabrous.
subequal, 4.8-6.7 mm, about equal to the lemmas;
lowest 2 florets staminate;
lemmas 4-6.5(8) mm, moderately hairy, hairs to 1 mm, apices deeply bifid, first lemma awn 0.6-4(6.5) mm, second lemma awn 4.5-10.5 mm, usually geniculate, arising from near the base to near midlength;
bisexual lemmas 3.5-5.2 mm, pubescent towards the bifid apices;
anthers 1.5-2.7 mm.
0.5-1 mm, pilose-ciliate, sometimes absent;
ligules 2-7 mm, truncate;
blades 1-31 cm long, 3-10 mm wide.
sheaths glabrous, brown to deep purple;
ligules 0.2-1.5 mm, truncate, ciliate;
blades 1-12 cm long, (0.7) 1-3(5) mm wide, flat or folded, abaxial surfaces glabrous and shiny, adaxial surfaces sparsely scabrous or pilose.
= 10,20.
= 56, 58, 63, 66, 72.
Anthoxanthum odoratum
Anthoxanthum monticola
Anthoxanthum odoratum is native to southern Europe. In the Flora region, it grows in meadows, pastures, grassy beaches, old hay fields, waste places, and openings in coniferous forests, occasionally in dense shade or as a weed in lawns. It is most abundant on the western and eastern sides of the continent, and is almost absent from the central region. In southern British Columbia, it is rapidly invading the moss-covered bedrock of coastal bluffs, and will soon exclude many native species. Diploids (In = 10) have been referred to A. odoratum subsp. alpinum (Á. Löve & D. Love) Hulten. Because the two ploidy levels can be distinguished only through cytological examination (Hedberg 1990), the two subspecies are not recognized here.
Anthoxanthum odoratum was often included in hay and pasture mixes to give fragrance to the hay, but this practice is waning. The aroma is released upon wilting or drying. By itself, the species is unpalatable because of the bitter-tasting coumarin.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Anthoxanthum monticola is circumpolar, usually growing above or north of the tree line, occasionally in open forests. It occurs sporadically on well-drained, weakly acidic to neutral sand, gravel, and rocky barrens in most of arctic North America; it is not common to the south, even at high elevations. It is facultatively apomictic, but slow to set seed. Revegetation is best accomplished vegetatively. It is listed as threatened or endangered in several parts of its range. There are two subspecies in the Flora region.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Awns of the upper staminate florets 5-10.5 mm long, attached from near the base to about midlength; awn usually strongly geniculate, the lower portion usually twisted, with 2-4 gyres | subsp. alpinum |
1. Awns of the upper staminate florets 4.5-7 mm long, attached at or above midlength, not or only weakly geniculate, the lower portion not twisted or twisted with 1-2 gyres | subsp. monticola |
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
