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• True grasses
• Paspalum setaceum

Paspalum setaceum — slender beadgrass

Facts

There are three varieties of slender beadgrass in New England. The most widespread (Paspalum setaceum var. muhlenbergii) is present in all New England states except Maine. Another (P. setaceum var. psammophilum) is found primarily on the coastal plain of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The third (P. setaceum var. setaceum) is also found in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), forest edges, meadows and fields

Characteristics

• 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

  one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets

  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

  1.4–2.5 mm

  Spikelets spiny

  the spikelets do not appear spiny

• Leaves

  Leaf auricles

  the leaves do not have auricles

  Leaf blade hairs

  the leaf blade is hairy

  Leaf blade width

  1.5–10.2 mm

  Leaf ligule length

  0.2–0.5 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

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • edges of forests
  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Stem orientation

  • the stems are upright
  • the stems trail along the ground or on other plants through most or all of their length

  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

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae