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- Aristida dichotoma
Aristida dichotoma — churchmouse threeawn
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Churchmouse threeawn favors sterile sandy soils of fields, roadsides and disturbed areas. It is native to eastern and southern North America, as well as New England.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), grassland, meadows and fields
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 1–2 mm
- Inflorescence branches
-
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- there are no branch points between the base of the inflorescence axis and the flowers, or they are not obvious
- Spikelet length
- 4–10 mm
- Glume relative length
- one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- One or more florets
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 1–8 mm
- Leaf sheath hair type
-
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf ligule length
- Up to 0.5 mm
- Anther length
- 2–3 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 2–3 mm
- Anther number
- 3
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- Bristles below spikelets
- no
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is hard and firm
- Floret number
- 1
- Floret types within spikelet
- all the florets within a spikelet are similar
- Glume awn length
- 0 mm
- Glume relative length
- one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets
- Glume veins
- 1
- Glumes per spikelet
- 2
- Inflorescence arrangement
- the spikelets are uniform
- Inflorescence axis orientation
- the inflorescence axis is straight
- Inflorescence branch length
- 1–2 cm
- Inflorescence branches
-
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- there are no branch points between the base of the inflorescence axis and the flowers, or they are not obvious
- Inflorescence length
- 20–110 mm
- Inflorescence type (general)
-
- the inflorescence is a spike, or is spike-like, lacking obvious branches
- the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
- Inflorescence type (specific)
-
- the inflorescence is a raceme (a long unbranched stem with stalked flowers growing along it)
- the inflorescence is branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes
- Inflorescence width
- Up to 10 mm
- Inforescence position
- the spikelets are mainly carried at the end of the stem
- Lemma awn base
- the awn is attached right at the tip of the lemma
- Lemma awn coiled
- the lemma awn is coiled at least one half turn
- Lemma awn length
- 1–8 mm
- Lemma awn number
- the lemma has more than one awn on it
- Lemma base hairs
- the lemma has hairs at the base
- Lemma base length
- 0.3–0.5 mm
- Lemma cross-section
- the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint
- Lemma keel hairs
- the keel of the lemma is rough, or has fine hairs
- 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
- Lower glume length
- 3–10 mm
- Lower glume relative length
-
- the lower glume is one third or less as long as the upper glume
- the lower glume is one third to three quarters as long as the upper glume
- One or more florets
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Palea relative length
- palea is one half to fully as long as lemma
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Spikelet axis tip
- there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
- Spikelet disintegration
- the spikelet breaks off above the glumes, so that after the florets fall off, the glumes remain
- Spikelet length
- 4–10 mm
- Spikelet number per node
- 0
- Spikelet pedicel
-
- the spikelets do not have pedicels
- the spikelets have pedicels
- Spikelets per panicle branch
- 1–2
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
- Tip of glume
- the tip of the glume is not divided (though it may have an awn on it)
- Upper glume length
- 4–13 mm
- Upper glume relative length
- the upper glume is more than one half as long as the lowest lemma
- Upper glume shape
- the upper glume is widest at or below the middle
-
Fruits or seeds
- Seed length
- 2–9 mm
-
Growth form
- Horizontal rooting stem
- no
- Lifespan
- the plant lives only a single year or less
- Rhizomes
- no
- Roots
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Basal leaves
- the plant has few or no leaves coming from the base of the flowering stem
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf basal lobe hairy
- NA
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section, or slightly folded or rolled inwards
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- the leaf blade is hairless, but it may have tiny prickles that give it a sand-papery feel
- the leaf blade is hairy
- Leaf blade length
- 3–10 cm
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is rough and sandpapery
- Leaf blade width
- 1–2 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- Up to 0.5 mm
- Leaf ligule type
- the leaf ligule is in the form of fine hairs
- Leaf margin glands
- there are no glands along the edges of the leaf blade
- 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 hair type
-
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf sheath hairs
-
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- grasslands
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Plant height
- 15–16 cm
- Stem orientation
-
- the stems are upright
- the stems trail at the base, but turn upwards at the tips
- Stem spacing
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
var. dichotoma
- Massachusetts
- widespread (S-rank: S5)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Aristida basiramea:
- central awn 10-15 mm long and lateral awns 5-10 mm long, usually divergent from near the base (vs. A. dichotoma, with central awn 3-8 mm long and lateral awns 1-4 mm long, straight, and erect).
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
2. Aristida dichotoma Michx. var. dichotoma N
churchmouse threeawn. CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Sandy, often sterile, soils of fields, grasslands, roadsides, and disturbed areas.