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Rainier reedgrass, Tacoma reedgrass

leafy reed grass

Habit Plants without sterile culms; cespitose, sometimes densely so, usually without rhizomes, sometimes with rhizomes about 2 cm long, 2-3 mm thick. Plants sometimes with sterile culms; cespitose, rhizomes occasionally present, shorter than 1 cm.
Culms

(20)30-55(95) cm, unbranched, smooth or slightly scabrous beneath the panicles;

nodes (1)2(5).

(25)30-60(70) cm, unbranched, mostly smooth, sparsely scabrous beneath the panicles;

nodes 1-3.

Sheaths

and collars smooth or slightly scabrous;

ligules (3)3.5-5.5(6) mm, usually truncate to obtuse, usually entire, sometimes lacerate;

blades (6)7-14(30) cm long, (1.5)2-2.5(4) mm wide, flat, abaxial surfaces usually smooth, rarely slightly scabrous, adaxial surfaces usually slightly scabrous, rarely smooth, glabrous or sparsely hairy.

and collars usually smooth;

ligules (3)4-6(7) mm, usually truncate to obtuse, usually entire, sometimes lacerate;

blades (10)11-21(27) cm long, (1.5)2-2.5(4) mm wide, mostly basal, flat or involute, abaxial surfaces smooth, adaxial surfaces slightly scabrous, glabrous or sparsely hairy.

Panicles

(5)7-10(18) cm long, (0.5)1-2(3) cm wide, loosely contracted, sometimes open, erect to slightly nodding, shiny green and purple;

branches (2)2.3-4(6) cm, scabrous, usually spikelet-bearing on the distal 2/3, sometimes to the base.

(9)10-12(19) cm long, 1-1.5(2.5) cm wide, erect to slightly nodding, contracted, branches sometimes slightly spreading at the base, usually pale green, rarely pale purple;

branches (2)3-4(5) cm, sparsely scabrous, spikelet-bearing to the base.

Spikelets

(4)6-6.5(7) mm;

rachilla prolongations 1.5-2(2.5) mm, hairs (1.5)2(3) mm.

(7)8-11 mm;

rachilla prolongations (1.5)2(3) mm, prominently bearded, hairs 2-3 mm.

Glumes

often green with a purple patch at the base, keeled, keels smooth or sparsely scabrous on the distal 1/2, lateral veins usually prominent, apices usually acute, sometimes short-acuminate, not twisted;

callus hairs (1.2)2(2.5) mm, (0.3)0.4-0.5(0.6) times as long as the lemmas, abundant;

lemmas (3.5)4-5(5.5) mm, (0.5)1.5-2(3) mm shorter than the glumes;

awns (5.5)7-8.5(10) mm, attached to the lower 1/10-1/3 of the lemmas, exserted more than 2 mm, easily distinguished from the callus hairs, strongly bent;

anthers (1)2-3(3.5) mm.

keeled, keels smooth or scabrous, lateral veins prominent, apices acuminate;

callus hairs 2.5-3(4) mm, 0.4-0.6 times as long as the lemmas, abundant;

lemmas (5)6-7(8) mm, (0.5)1-2(3) mm shorter than the glumes;

awns 12-14(17) mm, attached to the lower 1/10 – 2/5 of the lemmas, exserted more than 2 mm, easily distinguished from the callus hairs, bent;

anthers 3-4.5 mm.

2n

= unknown.

= 28.

Calamagrostis tacomensis

Calamagrostis foliosa

Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Calamagrostis tacomensis grows on montane to alpine slopes in dry or wet meadows, seeps, rocky talus slopes, and cliff crevices, at 400-2200 m. It grows only in the mountains of western Washington and in the Steens Mountains of southeastern Oregon. It reaches its highest known elevations in the Steens Mountains.

This species has previously been identified as either Calamagrostis purpurascens (p. 710) (C.L. Hitchcock et al. 1969) or C. sesquiflora (p. 714) (Kawano 1965). It differs from C. purpurascens in having glabrous leaves, generally longer awns and inflorescence branches, and smoother glumes. It differs from C. sesquiflora in having narrower leaves, callus hairs that are longer relative to the lemmas, longer inflorescence branches, and glume apices that are not twisted, as well as in often preferring drier habitats.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Calamagrostis foliosa grows in coastal scrub and forest, and on rocks and crevices of bluffs and cliffs, from sea level to 1200 m. It is known only from Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, and Sonoma counties in California.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 24, p. 716. FNA vol. 24, p. 714.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Pooideae > tribe Poeae > Calamagrostis Poaceae > subfam. Pooideae > tribe Poeae > Calamagrostis
Sibling taxa
C. bolanderi, C. breweri, C. cainii, C. canadensis, C. cinnoides, C. deschampsioides, C. epigejos, C. foliosa, C. howellii, C. koelerioides, C. lapponica, C. montanensis, C. muiriana, C. nutkaensis, C. ophitidis, C. perplexa, C. pickeringii, C. porteri, C. purpurascens, C. rubescens, C. scopulorum, C. sesquiflora, C. stricta, C. tweedyi, C. ×acutiflora
C. bolanderi, C. breweri, C. cainii, C. canadensis, C. cinnoides, C. deschampsioides, C. epigejos, C. howellii, C. koelerioides, C. lapponica, C. montanensis, C. muiriana, C. nutkaensis, C. ophitidis, C. perplexa, C. pickeringii, C. porteri, C. purpurascens, C. rubescens, C. scopulorum, C. sesquiflora, C. stricta, C. tacomensis, C. tweedyi, C. ×acutiflora
Name authority K.L. Marr & Hebda Kearney
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