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- Dichotomous Key
- Poaceae
- Poaceae Group 7
- Crypsis
- Crypsis schoenoides
Crypsis schoenoides — swamp pricklegrass
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Facts
Swamp pricklegrass is an exotic of Eurasian origin that has been introduced in southwestern and parts of northeastern North America. In New England it is known from disturbed sites in Massachusetts and Vermont.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
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.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 2–6 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
- 2.7–3.2 mm
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as 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
- 0.5–1 mm
- Anther length
- 7–1.1 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 7–1.1 mm
- Anther number
- 2–3
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is thin and flexible
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Glume veins
-
- 0
- 1
- 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
- there are no branch points between the base of the inflorescence axis and the flowers, or they are not obvious
- Inflorescence length
- 3–75 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 branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes
- Inforescence position
- the spikelets are mainly carried at the end of the stem
- Lemma awn base
- NA
- Lemma awn length
- 0 mm
- Lemma awn number
- the lemma has no awn
- Lemma cross-section
- the lemma is V-shaped if you cut across the midpoint
- Lemma hairs
- the lemma is hairless between the veins
- 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
- 1
- One or more florets
- 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
- 2.7–3.2 mm
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf blade width
- 2–6 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 0.5–1 mm
- 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 no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Crypsis schoenoides (L.) Lam. E
swamp pricklegrass. Heleochloa schoenoides (L.) Host ex Roemer • MA, VT. Disturbed soil, waste places.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Alopecuris aequalis:
- inflorescence exceeding the upper leaves, not enclosed in the upper leaf sheaths (vs. C. schoenoides, with the inflorescence usually exceeded by the upper leaves, partly enclosed in the upper leaf sheaths).
Synonyms
- Heleochloa schoenoides (L.) Host ex Roemer