Calamagrostis koelerioides
Calamagrostis cainii
dense-pine reed grass, fire reedgrass
Cain's reedgrass
(26)60-85(120) cm, unbranched, slightly scabrous;
nodes 2-3(5).
(30)45-55(60) cm, unbranched, smooth beneath the panicles;
nodes 1-3.
and collars usually scabrous, rarely smooth, glabrous;
ligules (1.5) 2-4.5(7) mm, truncate to obtuse, entire or sometimes lacerate;
blades (2)9-20(30) cm long, (2)2.5-4.5(8) mm wide, flat, slightly scabrous, adaxial surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy.
and collars smooth;
ligules 0.5-1.5(2) mm, usually truncate, sometimes obtuse, entire;
blades (5)15-30(39) cm long, (1)2-3(4) mm wide, flat, pale green, abaxial surfaces smooth, adaxial surfaces slightly scabrous, glabrous or sparsely hairy.
(4)10-13(16) cm long, about 1 cm wide, contracted, erect to slightly nodding, often slightly interrupted towards the base, straw-colored or pale green to pale purple;
branches (1.1)2.8-4(6) cm, scabrous, spikelet-bearing to the base.
(6)8-12(15) cm long, 1.5-3.5(4) cm wide, open, often drooping, pale green and purple;
branches (2)2.5-4.5(5) cm, smooth or slightly scabrous, spikelets usually confined to the distal 1/2-2/3.
(4)4.5-6(7) mm;
rachilla prolongations 1.5-2.5(3) mm, hairs 1.5-2 mm.
4-5(6) mm;
rachilla prolongations 1-2 mm, hairs 1.5-2 mm.
slightly keeled, keels smooth or slightly scabrous distally, lateral veins visible but not prominent, apices acute;
callus hairs 1.5-2 mm, 0.3-0.4 times as long as the lemmas, sparse;
lemmas (3.5)4-5(6) mm, 0.5-1.5 mm shorter than the glumes;
awns 4-5.5 mm, attached to the lower 1/10 – 1/5 of the lemmas, exserted, sometimes barely so, stout, distinguishable from the callus hairs, bent;
anthers 2-3.5 mm.
rounded to slightly keeled, usually smooth, keels rarely finely scabrous distally, lateral veins obscure, apices acute to acuminate;
callus hairs 1.5-2 mm, 0.3-0.5 times as long as the lemmas, abundant;
lemmas 3.5-4.5 mm, 0.5-1 mm shorter than the glumes;
awns 4-5(6) mm, attached from near the base to the lower 1/3 of the lemmas, exserted, stout and easily distinguished from the callus hairs, strongly bent;
anthers (1)2-2.5 mm.
= 28.
= 28.
Calamagrostis koelerioides
Calamagrostis cainii
Calamagrostis koelerioides grows in mountain meadows, chaparral, and Jeffrey pine and blue spruce forests, and on talus slopes, dry hills, and ridges, occasionally on serpentine soils, at 50-2100 m. It extends from Washington south to southern California and east to Montana and western Wyoming.
Calamagrostis koelerioides is similar to C. rubescens (p. 723). The two have traditionally been distinguished by the presence of hairs on the leaf collars in C. rubescens, and their absence in C. koelerioides; a more reliable differentiation is the longer lemmas, glumes, and awns of C. koelerioides compared to C. rubescens.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Calamagrostis cainii grows on bouldery subtrates and in soil pockets, landslides, and disturbed sites, at 1200-2100 m. It has been found in only three locations: the slopes of Mount LeConte, Sevier County, Tennessee; and in North Carolina on Craggy Pinnacle, Buncombe County, and the summit of Mount Craig, Yancey County. The species is of conservation concern because of its limited distribution.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
