Panicum tuckermanii — Tuckerman's panicgrass

Facts

Tuckerman's panicgrass is a widespread grass of shorelines, especially receding shorelines, roadsides, ditches and fields. It is found in all New England states.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

about the labels on this map

Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.

North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

enlarge

Characteristics

Habitat

terrestrial
wetlands

New England state

Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont

Inflorescence branches: the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence

Spikelet length: 1.4–2 mm

One or more florets

there is more than one floret per spikelet
there is one floret per spikelet

Lemma awn length: 0 mm

Anther length: 0.7–0.9 mm

Show all characteristics

Flowers
Anther length

0.7–0.9 mm

Anther number

0–3

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 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 crowding

the panicle is somewhat to very spread out, with clearly-evident branches

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)
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

1.4–2 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 only a single year or less
Leaves

Leaf auricles

the leaves do not have auricles

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
Place
Habitat
- terrestrial
- wetlands
New England state
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- 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

Not classified

In New England

Distribution

Connecticut: absent

Maine: absent

Massachusetts: absent

New Hampshire: absent

Rhode Island: absent

Vermont: absent

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Vermont: rare to uncommon (S-rank: S2S3)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

7.  Panicum tuckermanii Fern. N

Tuckerman’s panicgrass. Panicum philadelphicum Bernh. ex Trin. var. tuckermanii (Fern.) Steyermark & Schmoll • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Shorelines, especially frequent on receding shorelines, roadsides, ditches, low areas in fields. Though sometimes considered to be a dwarf state of Panicum philadelphicum, study by Darbyshire and Cayouette (1995) demonstrated that P. tuckermanii is distinct (in fact, more distinct than var. campestre, making it appropriate to treat this taxon as a species). In addition to characters used in the identification key, P. tuckermanii and P. philadelphicum often differ in their spikelet disarticulartion. The former has spikelets that consistently disarticulates below the glumes, leaving behind an empty pedicel. The latter has spikelets that often disarticulate on the rachilla first, the fertile floret dropping prior to the more tardily disarticulating glumes and sterile lemma.

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Panicum capillare:: panicle usually more than 50% of the total plant height, spikelets mostly 2.3– 4 mm long, and upper floret usually light brown-yellow to light brown (vs. P. tuckermanii, with the panicle usually less than 50% of the total plant height, spikelets 1.4–2.4 mm long, and upper floret usually dark brown at maturity).
Panicum philadelphicum:: anthers mostly 0.8–1 mm long, uppermost leaf with a blade length to sheath length ratio of mostly 0.8–1.8, usually not enclosing the lower branches of the inflorescence in the sheath (vs. P. tuckermanii, with anthers 0.5–0.75 mm long, uppermost leaf with a blade length to sheath length ratio of 2–3, usually enclosing the lower branches of the inflorescence in the sheath, and spikelets usually 1.4–1.8 mm long at maturity).

Synonyms

Panicum philadelphicum Bernh. ex Trin. var. tuckermanii (Fern.) Steyermark & Schmoll

Family

Poaceae

Genus

Panicum