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danthonie comprimée, flattened oatgrass

danthonie intermédiare, timber oatgrass

Culms

40-80 cm, disarticulating at the nodes when mature.

10-50(70) cm, not disarticulating at maturity.

Sheaths

glabrous, rarely sparsely pilose, usually reddish above the nodes;

blades to 30 cm long, 2-4 mm wide, flexible but not curled at maturity, glabrous, sometimes scabrous, uppermost cauline blades erect to ascending.

usually glabrous;

blades 5-10 cm long, 1-3.5 mm wide, glabrous or slightly pilose.

Inflorescences

with (4)6-17 spikelets;

branches usually flexible, usually divergent, sometimes strongly so, after anthesis;

lower branches with 2-3 spikelets;

pedicels on the lowest branch as long as or longer than the spikelets.

with (4)5-10 spikelets;

branches stiff, appressed or strongly ascending;

lower branches with (1)2-3(5) spikelets;

pedicels on the lowest branch shorter than the spikelets.

Spikelets

(7)10-16 mm.

11-15(19) mm.

Caryopses

1.7-2.6 mm long, 0.7-1.1 mm wide.

(2)2.3-3 mm long, 0.7-1.1 mm wide.

Calluses

of middle florets about as long as wide, convex abaxially;

lemma bodies 2.5-5 mm, pilose over the back, sometimes sparsely so, margins pilose to beyond midlength, distal hairs 0.5-2 mm, apical teeth 2-4 mm, aristate, (1/2)2/3 or more as long as the lemma bodies;

awns 6-10 mm;

anthers to 2.2 mm.

of middle florets longer than wide, concave abaxially;

lemma bodies 3-6 mm, glabrous over the back, densely pilose along the margins, teeth 1.5-2.5 mm, acute to acuminate or aristate;

awns 6.5-8 mm;

anthers usually tiny, sometimes to 4 mm.

Cleistogenes

rarely produced.

2n

= 36.

= 36, 98.

Danthonia compressa

Danthonia intermedia

Distribution
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; GA; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WV; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MI; MT; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NL; ON; QC; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Danthonia compressa grows in open and semi-shaded areas, including meadows, open woods, and woodland openings. Although not a true pioneer species, it may sometimes occur as a weed in perennial crops. It is restricted to eastern North America.

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

Danthonia intermedia grows in boreal and alpine meadows, open woods, and on rocky slopes and northern plains. Its range extends from Kamchatka, Russia, to North America, south along the cordillera, and east, through boreal and alpine regions, to Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Its primarily cleistogamous reproduction has probably facilitated its establishment and spread through more boreal and alpine habitats than other members of the genus.

Tzvelev (1976) treats the American plants as D. intermedia (Vasey) subsp. intermedia and the Russian plants, which have 2n = 18, as D. intermedia subsp. riabuschinskii (Kom.) Tzvelev.

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

Source FNA vol. 25, p. 303. FNA vol. 25, p. 303.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Danthonioideae > tribe Danthonieae > Danthonia Poaceae > subfam. Danthonioideae > tribe Danthonieae > Danthonia
Sibling taxa
D. californica, D. decumbens, D. intermedia, D. parryi, D. sericea, D. spicata, D. unispicata
D. californica, D. compressa, D. decumbens, D. parryi, D. sericea, D. spicata, D. unispicata
Synonyms D. alleni D. intermedia var. cusickii, D. canadensis
Name authority Austin Vasey
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