• You are here:
• Full Key
• Grass-like plants
• True grasses
• Trisetum spicatum

Trisetum spicatum — narrow false oat

Facts

Narrow false oat is globally one of the most widespread flowering plants, present in arctic and alpine regions of all continents except Africa. It is widespread across northern and western North America, as well as in most New England states. In our region it is found on rivershore outcrops and ledges, and sometimes at higher altitudes, preferring calcareous bedrock.

Habitat

Alpine or subalpine zones, forests, ridges or ledges, shores of rivers or lakes, woodlands

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Anther length

  0.6–1.4 mm

  Anther number

  3

  Awn on glume

  the glume has no awn

  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 veins

  3

  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 congested (crowded), and the branches may not be clearly seen without close inspection

  Inflorescence length

  50–500 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

  the awn is attached at the upper half of the lemma

  Lemma awn length

  3–8 mm

  Lemma awn number

  the lemma has one awn on it

  Lemma base hairs

  the lemma has hairs at the base

  Lemma cross-section

  the lemma is V-shaped if you cut across the midpoint

  Lemma surface

  the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)

  Lemma vein number

  • 3
  • 5
  • 7 or more

  One or more florets

  there is more than one floret per spikelet

  Palea relative length

  palea is one half to fully as long as lemma

  Reproductive system

  all the flowers on the plant have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)

  Spikelet axis tip

  there is an extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet

  Spikelet length

  5–7.5 mm

  Spikelets spiny

  the spikelets do not appear spiny

  Upper glume shape

  the upper glume is widest at or below the middle

• Leaves

  Leaf auricles

  the leaves do not have auricles

  Leaf blade width

  1–4 mm

  Leaf ligule length

  0.5–4 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 hair type

  • there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases
  • there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath

  Leaf sheath hairs

  • there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
  • there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath

  Orientation of topmost leaf

  the flag leaf is held upright, or at less than a 45 degree angle out from the stem

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • alpine or subalpine zones
  • forests
  • ridges or ledges
  • shores of rivers or lakes
  • woodlands

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Stem spacing

  the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts

Wetland status

Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae