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- Coleataenia longifolia
Coleataenia longifolia — long-leaved redtop-panicgrass
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Facts
Long-leaved redtop-panicgrass is a native grass confined to sandy or peaty pond shores, marsh edges and flood plains. There are three subspecies in New England, two of which are of conservation concern, while the third is common and widespread in New England.
Habitat
Marshes, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)
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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Characteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 2–12 mm
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet length
- 1.6–3.8 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
- 0 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 0.3–3 mm
-
Flowers
- 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 types within spikelet
-
- NA
- there are at least two distinct forms of florets within one spikelet
- Glume relative length
- one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets
- Glume shape
- the glume is flat or curved in cross-section
- 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 length
- 90–400 mm
- 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)
- One or more florets
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Spikelet axis tip
- there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
- Spikelet length
- 1.6–3.8 mm
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
- Upper glume shape
- the upper glume is widest at or below the middle
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf blade cross-section
-
- the leaf blade is clearly folded or rolled inwards
- 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 width
- 2–12 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 0.3–3 mm
- Leaf ligule type
-
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane with 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
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
-
Place
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of wetlands
- marshes
- 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
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
In New England
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.
ssp. elongata
- Connecticut
- historical (S-rank: SH), special concern, extirpated (code: SC*)
- Rhode Island
- concern (code: C)
ssp. longifolia
- Massachusetts
- rare (S-rank: S2), threatened (code: T)
- New Hampshire
- historical (S-rank: SH), endangered (code: E)
ssp. rigidula
- Vermont
- rare to uncommon (S-rank: S2S3)
Subspecies and varieties
Subspecies longifolia is known from CT, MA, NH, RI. Subspecies elongata is known from CT, RI.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Panicum dichotomiflorum:
- spikelets born on pedicels 1-6 mm long, not secund, and apex of upper lemma and palea without papillae (vs. C. longifolia, with spikelets borne on pedicels 0.5-1.5 mm long, secund, and apex of upper lemma and paleo with simple or compound papillae).
- Panicum philadelphicum:
- spikelets born on pedicels 3-15 mm long, not secund, sheaths terete, and apex of upper lemma and palea without papillae (vs. C. longifolia, with spikelets borne on pedicels 0.5-1.5 mm long, secund, sheaths compressed, and apex of upper lemma and paleo with simple or compound papillae).
Synonyms
- Panicum longifolium Torr.
- Sorengia longifolia (Torr.) Zuloaga & Morrone