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- Poaceae Group 10
- Paspalum
- Paspalum laeve
Paspalum laeve — field beadgrass
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Facts
Field beadgrass barely reaches New England at the northeastern limit of its range. It is present in Connecticut in extremely small numbers and present or historical in Massachusetts. It inhabits moist to wet fields, shores, meadows and river banks.
Habitat
Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), meadows and fields, 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.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Leaf blade width
- 2–9.3 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
- 2.3–3.3 mm
- Glume relative length
-
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- 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 more than one floret per spikelet
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 0 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 1.5–3.8 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 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
- 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
- Glume veins
-
- 0
- 1
- 3
- 5
- Inflorescence axis orientation
-
- the inflorescence axis is arched or curved outward
- 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 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 has pairs (or trios) of spikelets that are similar to each other in structure and size, with at least one of the spikelets on a stalk
- the inflorescence is branched and the branches all 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
- 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
- 2.3–3.3 mm
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf blade width
- 2–9.3 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 1.5–3.8 mm
- Leaf ligule type
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane
- 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
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- meadows or fields
- river or stream floodplains
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Stem spacing
-
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
- the stems grow singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)
Wetland status
Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- 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.
- Connecticut
- rare (S-rank: S2), threatened (code: T)
- Massachusetts
- historical (S-rank: SH), H (code: H)
var.circulare
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Paspalum laeve Michx. NC
Field beadgrass. Paspalum circulare Nash; P. laeve Michx. var. ciculare (Nash) Stone; P. longipilum Nash • CT, MA. Mesic to wet-mesic fields, shorelines, meadows, river banks.
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Sometimes confused with
- Paspalum setaceum:
- spikelets 1.4–2.5 mm long, paired at each node, and ligules 0.2–0.5 mm long (vs. P. leave, with spikelets 2.3–3.3 mm long, solitary at each node, and ligules 1.5–3.8 mm long).
Synonyms
- Paspalum circulare Nash
- Paspalum laeve Michx. var. ciculare (Nash) Stone
- Paspalum longipilum Nash