Dichanthelium wrightianum — Wright's rosette-panicgrass
![Plant form: Dichanthelium wrightianum. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Poaceae/dichanthelium-wrightianum-ha-ahaines.jpg)
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Facts
Wright's rosette-panicgrass is native to coastal states from Texas to New England. In our region it is found on the coastal plain of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, on pond shores and in temporary pools.
Habitat
Shores of rivers or lakes
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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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Leaf blade width
- 2–5 mm
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet length
- 0.8–1.1 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 more than one floret per spikelet
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 0 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 1.5–3 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther number
- 0–3
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- Bristles below spikelets
- no
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is hard and firm
- Floret number
- 1–2
- Floret types within spikelet
-
- NA
- there are at least two distinct forms of florets within one spikelet
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- 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 length
- 25–55 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 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
- 0.8–1.1 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 more than two years
- Roots
- the plant has a root mass with a hardened top
-
Leaves
- Basal leaves
- the plant has large or prominent tufts of leaves at the base of the flowering stem
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf blade width
- 2–5 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 1.5–3 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 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
-
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Specific habitat
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Stem spacing
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
- Stem thickness at base
- 0.3–0.8 mm
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), special concern (code: SC)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), concern (code: C)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
15. Dichanthelium wrightianum (Scribn.) Freckmann N
Wright’s rosette-panicgrass. Panicum acuminatum Sw. var. wrightianum (Scribn.) C.F. Reed; P. minutulum Desv.; P. wrightianum Scribn. • MA, RI. Pond shores and exposed, vegetated floors of temporary pools on the coastal plain.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Dichanthelium acuminatum:
- spikelets 1.3-2.6 mm long and stems thicker than 0.8 mm (vs. D. wrightianum, with spikelets 0.8-1.1 mm long and stems 0.3-0.8 mm thick).
Synonyms
- Panicum acuminatum Sw. var. wrightianum (Scribn.) C.F. Reed
- Panicum minutulum Desv.
- Panicum wrightianum Scribn.