Glyceria maxima
Glyceria pulchella
English watergrass, giant mannagrass, glycerie aquatique, reed manna grass, rough mannagrass, tall glyceria, tall mannagrass
beautiful glyceria, graceful mannagrass, Mackenzie Valley mannagrass, slender mannagrass
60-250 cm tall, 6-12 mm thick, erect.
40-60 cm tall, 1.5-5 mm thick, erect.
scabridulous, keeled;
ligules 1.2-6 mm, rounded or with a central point, ligules of the lower leaves thick, stiff, and opaque, ligules of the upper leaves thinner and translucent;
blades 30-60 cm long, 6-20 mm wide, both surfaces smooth or adaxial surfaces scabridulous.
scabridulous, not or weakly keeled;
ligules 1.5-4 mm;
blades 9-29 cm long, 2-7.5 mm wide, scabrous.
15-45 cm long, to 30 cm wide, open;
branches 8-20 cm, lax, strongly divergent or drooping at maturity, scabridulous, primary branches with 50+ spikelets;
pedicels 0.8-10 mm.
15-25 cm long, 6-15(20) cm wide, open, pyramidal, nodding;
branches 8-12 cm, ascending to divergent, flexuous, often smooth, with 30-40+ spikelets;
pedicels 0.3-6 mm.
5-12 mm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, somewhat laterally compressed, oval in side view, with 4-10 florets.
3.5-6 mm long, 1.4-2.5 mm wide, about 2.5 times longer than wide, laterally compressed, oval in side view, with 3-6 florets.
unequal, usually the midvein of 1 or both reaching to the apices;
lower glumes 2-3 mm;
upper glumes 3-4 mm, longer than wide;
rachilla internodes 0.5-1 mm;
lemmas 3-4 mm, 7-veined, veins scabridulous, apices broadly acute to rounded, slightly prow-shaped;
paleas subequal to the lemmas, lengths more than 3 times widths, keels not winged, ciliate, tips not strongly incurved, curved to broadly notched between the keels;
anthers 3, (1)1.2-2 mm.
unequal, lengths about 3 times widths, narrowing beyond midlength, veins terminating below the apices, apices acute, forming an angle of about 45°;
lower glumes 1.5-2 mm;
upper glumes 2-2.6 mm, erose;
rachilla internodes 0.4-0.6 mm;
lemmas 2.5-3.5 mm, oval in dorsal view, 7-veined, veins raised, scabridulous, apices broadly acute to obtuse, prow-shaped;
paleas from shorter than to equaling the lemmas, lengths 3-3.5 times widths, keels not winged, tips incurved, apices narrowly notched between the keels;
anthers 2, 0.5-0.9 mm.
1.5-2 mm.
about 1 mm.
= 60.
= unknown.
Glyceria maxima
Glyceria pulchella
Glyceria maxima is native to Eurasia. It grows in wet areas, including shallow water, at scattered locations in the flora region. It is an excellent fodder grass, and may have been planted deliberately at one time (Dore and McNeill 1980). At some sites, the species appears to be spreading, largely vegetatively. It is easily confused with large specimens of G. grandis, but differs in its firmer, more prow-tipped lemmas as well as its larger lemmas and usually larger anthers.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Glyceria pulchella grows in marshes, muskegs, ponds, and ditches, from central Alaska and the Northwest Territories to southern British Columbia and central Manitoba. In overall aspect, G. pulchella resembles G. striata and G. elata. It differs in having somewhat stiffer and straighter panicle branches, in addition to larger spikelets and florets.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
WA
Flora NW
Go Botany
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
