Glyceria ×occidentalis
Glyceria declinata
northwestern manna grass, western manna grass
low glyceria, low manna grass, waxy mannagrass
60-160 cm tall, 2.5-5 mm thick, erect or decumbent and rooting from the lower nodes.
(10)20-92 cm tall, 1.5-2.5 mm thick, ascending to erect from a decumbent, branching base.
smooth to scabridulous, keeled, sometimes weakly so;
ligules 7-12 mm;
blades 20-30 cm long, (2.5)4-12 mm wide, adaxial surfaces scabridulous, occasionally papillose.
glabrous, keeled;
ligules 4-9 mm;
blades (2)3-12 cm long, 4-8 mm wide, adaxial surfaces not papillose, apices abruptly acute.
20-50 cm long, 2-15 cm wide, usually narrow, open at anthesis;
branches 4.5-18 cm, somewhat lax, usually ascending, strongly divergent at anthesis, with 2-8 spikelets, pedicels 1.5-8 mm.
6-30 cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide;
branches 1.5-9.5 cm, ascending, with 1-5 spikelets;
pedicels 1-2.5 mm.
13-23 mm long, 1.5-3.5 mm wide, cylindrical and terete, except at anthesis when slightly laterally compressed, rectangular in side view, with 6-13 florets.
11-24 mm long, 1.3-3 mm wide, cylindrical and terete, except slightly laterally compressed at anthesis, rectangular in side view, with 8-15 florets.
acute to obtuse;
lower glumes 1.1-2.8 mm;
upper glumes 2.9-3.7 mm, about twice as long as the lower glumes;
rachilla internodes 1-2.8 mm;
lemmas 4.5-5.9 mm, scabridulous, midveins extending to within 0.1 mm of the apical margins, apices acute, usually slightly lobed or irregularly crenate;
paleas usually shorter than or equaling the lemmas, sometimes slightly longer, keels winged, apices shallowly notched to slightly bifid, teeth to 0.2 mm, parallel;
anthers 2, 0.6-1.6 mm.
oval;
lower glumes 1.4-3.5 mm;
upper glumes 2.5-4.9 mm;
rachilla internodes 1.2-1.8 mm;
lemmas (3.5)4-6 mm, 7-veined, veins and intercostal regions scabridulous, prickles about 0.05 mm, midveins extending to within 0.1 mm of the apical margins, apices acute, with a well-developed lobe on one or both sides opposite the lateral veins, entire to crenulate between the lateral lobes;
paleas exceeding the lemmas by 0.2-1(1.5) mm, keels winged, apices bifid, teeth 0.3-0.5 mm;
anthers 0.5-1.4 mm, usually purple.
1.8-2.5 mm.
= 40.
= 20.
Glyceria ×occidentalis
Glyceria declinata
Glyceria ×occidentalis has hitherto been considered an uncommon native species that grows along lakes, ponds, and streams, and in marshy areas of western North America. It differs from other species in the region primarily in its longer lemmas and anthers. Studies of chloroplast DNA in western North American species of Glyceria demonstrated that, contrary to C.L. Hitchcock's (1969) conclusion, G. fluitans is present in western North America, and that all specimens being identified as G. ×occidentalis had cpDNA resembling that of G. leptostachya or G. fluitans; there was no distinctive G. ×occidentalis cpDNA (Whipple et al. [in press]). This strongly suggests that G. ×occidentalis is a series of reciprocal hybids, and probably backcrosses, between G. fluitans and G. leptostachya. As the key indicates, G. ×occidentalis is intermediate between its two putative parents. The cpDNA study also confirmed that G. declinata is distinct from G. ×occidentalis (see discussion under that species).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Glyceria declinata is a European species that is established on the western seaboard of North America from southern British Columbia to southern California, and in northeastern Nevada, Arizona, the lower portion of the Mississippi valley, and on Long Island, New York. In Europe, it grows in low-calcium, acidic soils and tolerates drier conditions than other European species of Glyceria (Conert 1992). In Denmark, it tends to grow in areas that are highly trampled (Niels Jacobsen and Signe Frederiksen, pers. comm.). It is invading vernal pools in California.
In western North America, G. declinata has been confused with G. xoccidentalis. The most reliable distinguishing characteristics are the lateral lemma lobes of G. declinata and its rather short, straight panicle branches. The two species also differ in their ploidy level, G. declinata being diploid and G. xoccidentalis tetraploid (Church 1949). This is reflected in the length of their guard cells, those of G. declinata being 0.2-0.3 um and those of G. xoccidentalis being 0.4-0.5 um.
S.F. Hrusa found plants (Hrusa 13681, 15858, 16267; specimens in CDA) that have an annual growth habit. Apart from this, they fit within the circumscription of G. declinata, except that two of the three specimens have narrower (2-3 mm) leaves than normal; they were also collected relatively early in the season. For now, it seems best to include the plants in G. declinata pending a better understanding of their relationship to perennial members of the species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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- Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA
- Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW,
LA 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
