Torreyochloa pallida
Culms 18-145 cm tall, 0.6-4.8 mm thick, erect to decumbent, sometimes matted. Ligules of larger cauline leaves 2-9 mm, truncate or acute to attenuate; widest cauline blades 1.5-18 mm wide. Panicles (3)5-25 cm long, (1)1.8-16 cm wide, 1-5.75(7.5) times as long as wide, narrowly to widely conic, ovoid, or obovoid at maturity; lowermost branches stiff to flexuous, reflexed to erect at maturity. Spikelets 3.6-6.9 mm, with 2-8 florets. Lower glumes 0.7-2.1 mm; upper glumes 0.9-2.7 mm; lemmas 2-3.6 mm, truncate to acute; anthers 0.3-1.5 mm. 2n = 14.
Distribution
Conn., N.J., N.Y., Wash., Del., Wis., W.Va., Mass., Maine, N.H., R.I., Vt., Wyo., N.Mex., N.C., Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. And Labr., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Tenn., Pa., Calif., Nev., Va., Colo., Alaska, Ill., Ga., Ind., Ariz., Idaho, Md., Ohio, Utah, Mo., Minn., Mich., Mont., S.C., Ky., Oreg., S.Dak.
Discussion
All three varieties of Torreyochloa pallida grow in swamps, marshes, bogs, and the margins of lakes and streams. They are usually morphologically distinct, and tend to have different geographic ranges.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Widest cauline blades 1.5-3 mm wide; anthers of the lowest floret in each spikelet 0.3-0.6 mm long | Torreyochloa pallida var. fernaldii |
| 1 | Widest cauline blades 2.8-18 mm wide; anthers of the lowest floret in each spikelet 0.5-1.5 mm long. | > 2 |
| 2 | Anthers of the lowest floret in each spikelet 0.7-1.5 mm long; basal diameter of the culms 1.2-3 mm; upper glumes 1.4-2.7 mm long; plants generally of eastern North America | Torreyochloa pallida var. pallida |
| 2 | Anthers of the lowest floret in each spikelet 0.5-0.7 mm long; basal diameter of the culms (1.3)1.8-4.8 mm; upper glumes 0.9-1.8 mm long; plants of western North America | Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora |