Glyceria obtusa
Glyceria melicaria
Atlantic manna grass
glycerie melicaire, melic mannagrass, northeastern manna grass
60-100 cm tall, 2.5-5 mm thick, often decumbent at the base.
50-100 cm tall, 3-5 mm thick, erect.
glabrous, smooth, not keeled, midvein prominent;
ligules 0.5-0.8 mm, not translucent, truncate to slightly rounded;
blades 15-40 cm long, 2-8 mm wide, abaxial surfaces smooth, adaxial surfaces scabridulous.
smooth, not or only weakly keeled;
ligules 0.2-0.9 mm, translucent, rounded to truncate;
blades 25-40 cm long, 2-7 mm wide, abaxial surfaces smooth, adaxial surfaces scabridulous.
5-15 cm long, 2.5-6 cm wide, ovoid, erect, dense;
branches 2.5- 8 cm, strongly ascending, with 10-30 spikelets;
pedicels 1-14 mm.
15-25 cm long, 0.8-1.5 cm wide, linear, nodding;
branches 5-9 cm, appressed, scarcely surpassing the node above, with 30-60+ spikelets;
pedicels 0.5-2 mm.
4-7 mm long, 2.5-4 mm wide, somewhat laterally compressed, oval in side view, with 4-7 florets.
3.5-5 mm long, 1-2.5 mm wide, laterally compressed, oval in side view, with 3-4 florets.
keeled, 1-veined, veins not extending to the apical margins, apical margins hyaline, acute, entire or often splitting with age;
lower glumes 1.6-2.5 mm, lanceolate to narrowly ovate or obovate;
upper glumes 1.7-3.5 mm, ovate-elliptic to obovate, obtuse to rounded;
rachilla internodes 0.2-0.4 mm;
lemmas 3-3.9 mm, 5-9-veined, veins not raised, apices rounded, somewhat prow-shaped;
paleas subequal to the lemmas, lengths 2-2.8 times widths, keels well-developed, not winged, tips pointing towards each other, narrowly notched between the keels;
anthers 2, 0.6-0.8 mm.
lanceolate, veins terminating below the apices, apices acute;
lower glumes 1.3-2.4 mm;
upper glumes 1.7-3 mm;
rachilla internodes 0.4-0.6 mm;
lemmas 1.9-2.8 mm, smooth or scabridulous, 5-7-veined, veins raised, apices acute, prow-shaped;
paleas slightly shorter to slightly longer than the lemmas, lengths 2.5-4 times widths, keels well developed, not winged, tips incurved, narrowly notched between the keels;
anthers 2, 0.3-0.5 mm.
1.5-1.8 mm.
1-1.5 mm;
hila subequal to the caryopses.
= 40.
= 40.
Glyceria obtusa
Glyceria melicaria
Glyceria obtusa is a distinctive species that grows in wet woods, swamps, and shallow waters, primarily on the eastern seaboard of North America, from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to South Carolina.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Glyceria melicaria grows in swamps and wet soils. Its range extends from southeastern Ontario east to Nova Scotia, south to Illinois and the northeastern United States and, in the Appalachian Mountains, to northern Georgia. Glyceria xgatineauensis Bowden is a sterile hybrid between G. melicaria and G. striata. For further comments, see p. 77.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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