Question: Hello, this grass was found in a dry rocky understory of a deciduous forest in SE Connecticut. The grass was …
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Question
Hello, this grass was found in a dry rocky understory of a deciduous forest in SE Connecticut. The grass was in a small colony with individuals up to 2 feet in height. The loose inflorescence was approximately 6 in. The widest leaf blade was apprx 1-inch in diameter. Based on the description, the closest I could come was Piptatherum racemosum...unfortunately I didn’t have a ruler to measure the lemma awn or the spikelet. Thanks!
Answer
Good morning eehrlich11, you have photographed Patis racemosa (black-seeded-rice grass). This species has been known by the name Piptatherum racemosum in recent literature. The broad leaves that are well developed on the upper part of the stem and long awns on the lemmas are good characteristics to distinguish this from other closely related species.
