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Grass Like Plant Identification
The taxonomy of monocots
Basic Land Plant Introduction
Hydrophytic macrophytes. Macro- means large and these are the
typically, larger plants, that dominate the terrestrial landscape. To get
water and nutrients to upright stems a vascular system transports water
and sugars, etc up to growing shoots and down to roots. To
become large and arborescent some plants produce secondary growth
or wood in the form of concentric growth rings this allows for increased
structural support. Herbaceous plants use another strategy that allows
for upright growth without secondary growth. Three groups of plants
have become upright, ferns, conifers and flowering plants. The
sequence of evolution of plants follows from algae, ferns, conifers to
flowering plants. The relative number of species in each of these great
groups is as follows, from least number to greatest, conifers, ferns,
algae and flowering plants. Thus with their successful speciation in a
variety of habitats, the flowering plants tend to dominate the landscape including wetlands, especially the littoral zones of surface waters.
MONOCOTS 24 families Pontederiaceae
Amaryllidaceae
Alismataceae
Liliaceae
Hydrocharitaceae
Iridaceae
Juncaginaceae
Haemodoraceae
Xyridaceae
Smilaceae (vine)
Commelinaceae
Burmanniaceae
Juncaceae
Orchidaceae
Cyperaceae
Poaceae
Sparganiaceae
Typhaceae
Musaceae (naturalized)
Zingiberaceae (naturalized)
Cannaceae
Maranthaceae
Aracaceae
Araceae
Flowering Plants are divided into two large groups
Monocots
leaves with parallel venation
flowers in parts of threes
there may be whorles of 3’s, e.g. petals, sepals, stamens and stigmas
stems usually herbaceous, palms are the exception
Dicots
leaves with net venation
flowers in parts of 4’s and 5’s
stems may be herbaceous or woody, if woody they show annual
growth rings
Alismataceae - arrowhead and burhead family. Herbaceous, mostly
aquatic, leaves spirally arranged from a basal rosette. Leaf blades
variable, esp. between juvenile and adult, submerged and arboreal
leaves. Juvenile leaves are straplike or tapelike, adult leaves with
distinct petioles and expanded blades.
Blades with distinct parallel veins. Often plants with a milky sap.
Flowers with three conspicuous white petals. The flowers typically are
either functionally female or male, plants are monoecious.
Flowers imperfect or perfect, typically in whorls along the
inflorescence, raceme.
Echinodorus, Sagittaria are both OBL.
Grass like species in the Alismataceae
Sagittaria graminea
Sagittaria isoetiformis
Sagittaria kurziana
The Potamogetonaceae, Cymodoceaceae and Najadaceae. These are
aquatic plant families, they are typically found submerged. The
presence of these plants is best used as a hydrologic indicator. Shows
the approximate location of the seasonal high water elevation.
Common genera for each:
Potamogetonaceae generally freshwater, jointed stems with conspicuous
nodes, alternate leaves with sheathing base. Leaves grasslike to
floating and oval. Flowers in spikes. Potamogeton and Ruppia.
Cymodoceaeceae marine aquatics with jointed rhizomes, alternate,
grasslike leaves, sheathing and ligulate. Flowers very reduced for
aquatic pollination. All tropical or subtropical, Halodule or manatee
grass.
Najadaceae freshwater herbs with leaves appearing opposite or whorled,
linear, typically toothed, with a sheath. Flowers very reduced, axillary
produced in a flask shaped structure. Najas, found in freshwater lakes,
ponds, streams and rivers.
Cannaceae -CANNA FAMILY. Herbaceous perennials with spirally
arranged leaves. Leaves broadly elliptic, pinnately veined, relatively
large leaves. Prominent midrib and petiole. Ligule absent.
The flowers are unusual, large and showy, “petals” are actually
modified stamens or staminodia. One stigma, style is fused to
floral tube which is petal-like.
Fruit a warty capsule with large, dark brown/black, round seeds.
Canna flaccida or INDIAN SHOT is found throughout wetlands
in Florida. Other hybrid cannas occasionally escape into wetlands.
Cannaceae -CANNA FAMILY
Canna flaccida or INDIAN SHOT
Araceae - herbaceous perennials, our species are terrestrial with simple
to compound leaves, a sheathing base, large leaved species with pinnate
or net venation. Many species have arrow-head shaped leaves.
Just about all species have calcium oxalate crystals in
the sap. It is the flower this is most distinctive, these have a spathe,
with is a leafy, lance or spoon shaped bract that surrounds the spadix.
The spadix is a narrow, cone-like structure with very reduced male and
female flowers packed together. Orontium has only a yellow/white
spadix without a spathe. The fruit is a fleshy berry, these are clusted
on a stalk, fleshy and tend to be bright red.
Orontium -GOLDEN CLUB
Peltandra - ARUM
Pistia - WATER LETTUCE
Ariseama - JACK IN THE PULPIT
Colocasia - ELEPHANT’S EAR
Zingiberaceae - ginger family. Erect, perennial herbs with large
fleshy leaves, arranged atlernately on an elongated stem, with basal
sheaths. Flowers produced in leafy, spirally arranged cone like
structure (Hedychium). Each flower is large with three, white, petal like
staminodes. One structure houses the stamen, stigma and style. Very
unusual and reduced flowers.
Only one species is commonly naturalized in wetlands, primarily in
north and central Florida. Hedychium coronarium or WHITE GINGER.
This fragrant flowering species has large, arching stems, to 6 feet or
more tall. Leaves are large and leathery. Rhizomes shout and often
pinkish.
Hedychium coronarium - WHITE FLOWER GINGER
Zingiberaceae -GINGER FAMILY
Typhaceae cattail family. Aquatic or marsh growing,
erect herbs with long linear leaves, sheathed,
whitish rhizomes, Sparganium has long, submerged or floating leaves
and erect “adult” leaves. Sparganium is sometimes placed into its own
family.
Flowers in cigar shaped inflorescence or in a round, bur-like structure.
Reduced, male and female flowers in separate clusters. Fruit a tufted
achene (Typha) or drupes arranged in globose heads (Sparganium).
All Typha or CATTAILS are OBL.
Typhaceae-CATTAILS
obligate wetland plants
Sparganiaceae-BURR-REED FAMILY. Considered by most botanists
to be closely related or in the same family as cattails. Herbaceous
perennials from a rhizome. Leaves are 2 ranked, with parallel veins.
Submerged plants with long, flaccid, grass like leaves. Plants in shallow,
non-flowing water with erect leaves. Flowers in separate, round heads.
The flowers are reduced, perianth consists of bristles or hairs. Fruit
an achene.
Sparganium americanum or BURR-REED.
Sparganiaceae -BURR-REED FAMILY
Sparganium -burweed
Haemodoraceae -bloodroot family. Herbaceous perennials with iris-like
foliage, red sap and roots. Flowers in compound cyme, our are densely
hairy. Flowers bisexual, regular, perianth of one series, stamens three.
One pistil becomes a capsule.
Two common genera are found in Florida wetlands.
Lachnanthes or REDROOT. With sword like foliage, equitant or iris
like, rhizomes and roots bright reddish-orange. Persistent inflorescence
is easily identified in winter.
Lophiola or GOLDEN CREST. With sword like foliage. Looks much
like redroot. Does not have bright red roots. Flowers are unusual resemble a tuft of golden hairs.
Lachnanthes REDROOT -FAC
Haemodoraceae -bloodroot family
Juncaginaceae - ARROWGRASS FAMILY. Non descript herbaceous
perennials.
Look very much like Isoetaceae (quillworts) and grasses,
leaves are round in cross section with an open sheath.
Locally common but easily overlooked. Flowers of 2 series of
whorls of 3, stamens 6, carpels 3-6.
Fruit a follicle.
Tend to be associated with coastal marshes.
Flowers produced on a narrow spike, these are green, reduced.
6 tepals, 6 stamens, 3-6 carpels.
In Florida we have one representative of this family, Triglochin.
Which can be found in near coastal conditions.
Juncaginaceae - ARROWGRASS FAMILY
Triglochin -ARROWGRASS
Xyridaceae - YELLOW EYED GRASS FAMILY.
Iris like leaves are alternate, long, strap like and a cone like
inflorescence. Flowers white or more commonly yellow with
3 equal spreading lobes. Flowers produced from the bracts of the
cone like inflorescence. Fruit minute capsules.
Seeds dustlike. Some species produce a mucilagenous glob at the
base of the leaves. Some species have conspicuous black, brown or
reddish stripes at the base of the leaves.
One genus in Florida, Xyris. Typically found in marshes.
Xyris spp.
Xyridaceae - YELLOW EYED GRASS FAMILY
Commelinaceae - SPIDERWORT FAMILY.
Typical plants are perennials and weedy
annuals with alternate, fleshy, leaves with closed sheaths;
succulent stems (often mucilaginous). Stems generally with
conspicuous nodes.
The sepals are green, petals typically blue, white to pinkish and last
but a single day.
Commelina has a folded “boat like” sheath subtending the flowers.
Tradescantia fluminensis, introduced weeds of wetlands and uplands, esp.
disturbed areas. Looks like a green wandering jew with small white
flowers.
Murdannia is the more commonly encountered wetland plant.
Very weedy often dominates disturbed wetlands and
wet lawns.
Commelinaceae - SPIDERWORTS
Commelina spp.
Comparison of GRASSES, SEDGES and RUSHES
Family:
Poaceae
Cyperaceae Juncaceae
Common name:
GRASS
SEDGE
RUSH
Stem:
round
triangular
round
Leaves:
2-ranked or
distichous
open sheath
flw associated
with 2 bracts,
lemma & palea
3-ranked
spiral
closed sheath
flw associated
with one bract
2-ranked or
distichous
open sheath
flw associated
with 2 or more
bracts
grain
achene
seeds, dust like
Floral
characters:
Fruit:
bristles
stigma
stamens
stigma
“petals”
anther
spikelet
lemma
palea
stigma
filament
“sepals”
glume
perigynium
sac like
structure that
surrounds the ovary
bract
Carex spp.
bracts
Cyperaceae - SEDGE FAMILY.
One of the more important wetland groups. Contains many wetland
genera and species. Often dominate marshes. Grass-like, leaves in
3 ranks, leaves slightly folded with a thickened midrib and stems
often triangular in cross section - thus “sedges have edges”, closed
sheath. Typically from a scaly, creeping rhizome. Flowers are
reduced, wind pollinated. Each is a spikelet produced on a branched
paniculate, umbellate or spicate inflorescence.
Fruit an achene often ornamented with a pointed apex or beak,
surface often ridged, pitted, striated. Achenes are often distinctive
to the species level.
Most commonly confused with grasses.
Important wetland genera include Rhynchospora, Carex, Cyperus,
Cladium, Eleocharis, Scirpus, Scleria, Dichromena, Fimbrystylis,
etc.
Cyperaceae SEDGE FAMILY
Carex species
Cyperaceae SEDGE FAMILY
Cyperus spp.
Cyperaceae - SEDGE FAMILY
Rhynchospora spp.
Eleocharis spp.
Fuirena spp.
Cyperaceae SEDGE FAMILY
Cyperaceae SEDGE FAMILY
Scleria -NUTRUSH
Cladium jamaicense
Saw “grass”
Scirpus americanus
Scirpus cyperinus
Dichromena latifolia
Dichromena is sometimes
placed in Rhynchospora
Dulichium
arundinaceum
Juncaceae - RUSH FAMILY. Only one genus, Juncus, is important
for identifying wetlands in Florida. Juncus have round stems, open
sheaths, usually a solid pith in the stem. Leaves 3 ranked, flat or
round, sometimes segmented. Flowers are greenish, with two whorls
of threes -three sepals, three petals. Fruit is a capsule and the seeds
are minute, dust like.
Saltmarshes are dominated by Juncus roemarianus and
Spartina alterniflora.
Juncus spp.
Juncaceae - RUSH FAMILY
Poaceae - grass family. Leaves in 2 ranks and sheath is open. Leaves
have a sheath and a blade. The sheath typically wraps around the stem
or culm. The blade is the photosynthetic part of the leaf, it bends away
from the stem and at the junction or bend there may be a ligule.
The ligule may be an important taxonomic character when trying to
identify grasses. In many grasses, the stems or culms are produced
from a rhizome. Some grasses are herbaceous annuals or perennials
and my be prostrate others are woody and upright and long
lived (bamboos). Grass flowers are reduced and wind pollinated.
The flower are produced in small spikes. Each spike consists of two
bracts called the glumes.
The spikelet may have additional bracts called the lemma and
palea. The glumes and lemma may also have long structures
called awns, these may extend beyond the remaining bracts.
stigma
anther
spikelet
lemma
palea
filament
glume
TYPICAL GRASS - FAMILY POACEAE
spikelet
Seedhead, inflorescence
Leaf blade
node
Stem, culm
internode
ligule
Sheath, open
Section of leaf
rhizome
Poaceae-GRASSES
Liliaceae-Lily Family. A very diverse group with many genera. Some
are split into their own families. Most are herbaceous perennials from
bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers. Leaves alternate, linear, simple, often
grasslike, straplike. Flowers with 3 sepals, 3 petals produced on a
raceme. Fruit typically a capsule.
Genera that occur in wetlands in Florida include:
Aletris -COLIC ROOT
Tofieldia - FALSE ASPHODEL
Crinum - STRAP LILY, SWAMP LILY
Zigadenus- FLY POISON
Pleea-RUSH-FEATHERLING
Lilium-TRUE LILIES
Melanthium -BUNCHFLOWERS
Liliaceae-Lily Family
Hypoxidaceae -YELLOW STARGRASS FAMILY.
Small grass-like perennials, from corms. Leaves spirally arranged.
Perfect flowers with 6 yellow tepals, 6 stamens, superior ovary.
Fruit a capsule, seeds minute, dark brown/black.
Hypoxis spp. - yellow star grass.
Eriocaulaceae - pipewort family. Herbaceous perennials from a basal
tuft of spirally arranged leaves. Leaves mostly linear, strap like or thin
and grass like or moss like (Syngonanthes). Flowers in compressed
head like aggregates on long stalks (hence the common name, “hat
pins”). The flowers are small, reduced, numerous. Each flower is
associated with a scalelike bract. Flowers unisexual.
Fruit a small capsule, seeds minute, dust like.
This family is a collection of general primarily of wetlands.
Eriocaulon or HAT PINS.
Syngonanthes or BANTAM BUTTONS.
Lachnocaulon or BOG BUTTONS.
It is not feasible for novices to distinguish between the species.
Eriocaulaceae pipewort family
Eriocaulon -HAT PINS.
Syngonanthes -BANTAM BUTTONS
Lachnocaulon -BOG BUTTONS
Mayacaceae - bog moss family. One genus in our area. These are
moss like plants of wetlands and surface waters. Foliage resembles
that of a moss. Leaves filiform, densely packed, with 2 teeth at the
apex and a single midvien, and spirally alternate. Flowers solitary,
relatively large for the overall scale of this plant. Regular flowers with
3 rounded, showy petals, whitish to purplish-pink, 2 green sepals.
Fruit a capsule.
Sometimes found suspended in water column or growing upright along
shores of freshwater ponds and lakes.
Resembles a moss.
Mayaca fluviatilis BOG MOSS.
Mayacaceae - bog moss family
Mayaca fluviatilis BOG MOSS
Sphagnum moss resembles bog moss.
Iridaceae- Iris Family. Herbaceous perennials with linear, alternate,
sheathing, equitant, swordlike to grass like. From rhizomes, bulbs
or corms. Ours from rhizomes. Flowers with 6 petal like structures.
These are actually the stamens and styles. Three carpels
are united. Fruit a capsule.
Iris-iris, flag. Large showy flowers in spring and early summer,
blue, purple to whitish.
Sisyrinchium - blue eyed grass, blue to white (rarely yellow).
Sisyrinchium
Iris spp.
Orchidaceae - ORCHID FAMILY. Herbaceous perennials from
rhizomes, all Florida wetland species are typically terrestrial, many
other species in Florida are epiphytes. Leaves straplike to grasslike.
Flowers are zygomophic with unusual, specialized reproductive
structures. Corolla in two whorls of 3’s. Sepals often showy and
petal like. One petal modified into a lip. Pollen aggregated into a
mass called a pollinia. This is sticky and adheres to pollinators.
Fruit a capsule, seeds minute. This is the largest family of flowering
plants, most of the species are
Calopogon .
found in the tropics.
Wetland orchids in Florida include:
Habenaria spp. .
Platanthera spp.
Listera spp.
Spiranthes spp.
Liparis elata.
Pogonia ophioglossoides
Cleistes divaricata
Orchidaceae ORCHID FAMILY