Introduction to the tribe Meliceae – closed leaf sheaths and strongly ribbed lemmas are the most distinctive characteristics of this tribe. Use the key to grass tribes on pages 3-4 in the Grasses of Montana to learn the distinguishing features of this grass tribe. Be sure to run all of your grass samples through the keys in the Grasses of Montana so that you can develop an association of a taxonomic group (tribe, genus, species) with its diagnostic traits or morphologies.
1. Catabrosa aquatica. A native riparian or wetland perennial that often roots at nodes, sometimes forming dense floating mats, inflorescence is an open panicle, spikelets with usually 2 florets well spaced on long rachilla internodes (single florets may appear as individual spikelets), lemmas with 3 prominent and parallel veins, leaf sheaths fused (if not torn).
2. Melica spectabilis. A loosely bunched to single stemmed perennial, stems born from slender rhizomes and corms, which are swollen stem bases that appear onion-like (and are edible especially during the early summer), inflorescence a narrow panicle, spikelets with many prominent veins, leaf sheath fused, inhabits mountain meadows.
Review grasses. All of these grasses belong to one of the five predominant cool season tribes. Sight identification to tribe and genus will greatly facilitate your ability to effectively use taxonomic keys.
3.
Stipa spartea. A perennial
bunchgrass especially dominant in the
4. Elymus flavescens. A perennial rhizomatous grass, sometimes bunched, with a two sided terminal spike in which one of the spikelets at each node is pedicellate, the glumes and florets are characteristic of Elymus, common on sandy soils.
5. Calamagrostis canadensis. A rhizomatous perennial with diffuse but dense panicles, forming dense stands nears standing or running water (or along seeps) in the mountains and flowering late summer.
6. Alopecurus aequalis. Native bunched aquatic perennials, inflorescences of spicate panicles, awns not emergent from glumes.
7. Deschampsia cespitosa. A perennial bunchgrass often forming large bunches in extensive stands in mountain meadows including subalpine and alpine settings, inflorescence an open diffuse panicle with spikelets having glumes that are purplish at base and silvery-translucent at tips, spikelets with two florets (a condition found in all species of the genus), rachilla distinctively hairy.
8. Phleum alpinum. Similar to Phleum pratense but a shorter statured perennial bunchgrass, inhabiting usually higher elevations, inflorescences shorter, and upper leaf sheaths are inflated.
9. Polypogon monspeliensis. Annual bunchgrass with ascending to erect stems, the spicate panicle bears spikelets somewhat similar to those of Phleum but the awns from the glume tips are very long, inhabiting disturbed sites often near open water or a seep.
10. Lolium perenne. Similar to Lolium multiflorum but a short-lived perennial bunchgrass, often shorter statured, and lemmas lacking awns, found mostly as a component of lawn grasses and pasture mixes.
11. Bromus diandrus. Annual bunchgrass of disturbed sites usually at lower elevation and more moist or protected sites compared to its close relative Bromus tectorum.
12.
Melica subulata.
Perennial bunchgrass in forest understory in the western half of