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Panicum tuckermannii — Tuckerman's panicgrass

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Facts

Tuckerman's panicgrass is a widespread grass of shorelines, especially receding shorelines, roadsides, ditches and fields. It is found in all New England states.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
  • terrestrial
  • wetlands
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
Inflorescence branches
the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
Spikelet length
1.4–2 mm
One or more florets
  • there is more than one floret per spikelet
  • there is one floret per spikelet
Lemma awn length
0 mm
Anther length
0.7–0.9 mm
Show all characteristics
  • Flowers

    Anther length
    0.7–0.9 mm
    Anther number
    0–3
    Bristles below spikelets
    no
    Floret lower bract texture
    the lemma is hard and firm
    Floret number
    1–2
    Floret types within spikelet
    • NA
    • there are at least two distinct forms of florets within one spikelet
    Glume shape
    the glume is flat or curved in cross-section
    Glume veins
    • 1
    • 3
    • 5
    • 7 or more
    Inflorescence arrangement
    the spikelets are uniform
    Inflorescence axis orientation
    the inflorescence axis is straight
    Inflorescence branches
    the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
    Inflorescence crowding
    the panicle is somewhat to very spread out, with clearly-evident branches
    Inflorescence type (general)
    the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
    Inflorescence type (specific)
    the inflorescence is branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes
    Lemma awn base
    NA
    Lemma awn coiled
    NA
    Lemma awn length
    0 mm
    Lemma awn number
    the lemma has no awn
    Lemma awn orientation
    NA
    Lemma cross-section
    the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint
    Lemma surface
    the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)
    Lemma tip
    the lemma tip is a simple point, with or without an awn (long narrow extension ending in a point)
    Lemma vein number
    • 3
    • 5
    • 7 or more
    One or more florets
    • there is more than one floret per spikelet
    • there is one floret per spikelet
    Palea relative length
    palea is one half to fully as long as lemma
    Spikelet axis tip
    there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
    Spikelet length
    1.4–2 mm
    Spikelets spiny
    the spikelets do not appear spiny
    Upper glume shape
    the upper glume is widest at or below the middle
  • Growth form

    Lifespan
    the plant lives only a single year or less
  • Leaves

    Leaf auricles
    the leaves do not have auricles
    Leaf ligule type
    the leaf ligule is in the form of fine hairs
    Leaf sheath closed around stem
    the margins of the leaf sheath are overlapping and not fused together except in the basal half (or less)
    Leaf sheath hairs
    there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
  • Place

    Habitat
    • terrestrial
    • wetlands
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
    Specific habitat
    • man-made or disturbed habitats
    • meadows or fields
    • shores of rivers or lakes
  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Stem spacing
    the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts

Wetland status

Not classified

In New England

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
present
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
present
Rhode Island
present
Vermont
present

Conservation status

None

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

7.  Panicum tuckermannii Fern. N

Tuckermann’s panicgrass. Panicum philadelphicum Bernh. ex Trin. var. tuckermanii (Fern.) Steyermark & Schmoll • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Shorelines, especially frequent on receding shorelines, roadsides, ditches, low areas in fields. Though sometimes considered to be a dwarf state of Panicum philadelphicum, study by Darbyshire and Cayouette (1995) demonstrated that P. tuckermannii is distinct (in fact, more distinct than var. campestre, making it appropriate to treat this taxon as a species). In addition to characters used in the identification key, P. tuckermannii and P. philadelphicum often differ in their spikelet disarticulartion. The former has spikelets that consistently disarticulates below the glumes, leaving behind an empty pedicel. The latter has spikelets that often disarticulate on the rachilla first, the fertile floret dropping prior to the more tardily disarticulating glumes and sterile lemma.

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Panicum capillare
Panicum philadelphicum

Family

Poaceae

Genus

Panicum