Calamagrostis lapponica

(Wahlenb.) Hartm.
Common names: Lapland reedgrass Calamagrostide de lapponie
Synonyms: Calamagrostis lapponica var. nearctica Calamagrostis lapponica var. groenlandica
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 729.

Plants rarely with sterile culms; loosely cespitose, with rhizomes 3-6+ cm long, 1-2 mm thick. Culms (12) 35-50 (90) cm, unbranched, smooth beneath the panicles; nodes 1-2 (3). Sheaths and collars usually smooth, rarely with short hairs; ligules (0.5) 2-4 (5.5) mm, usually truncate, entire; blades (4) 8-18 (26) cm long, (1.5) 2-3.5 (4) mm wide, flat to involute, abaxial surfaces usually smooth, rarely slightly scabrous, adaxial surfaces usually smooth or scabrous, rarely sparsely hairy. Panicles (4) 8-11 (16) cm long, (0.7) 1-2 (2.8) cm wide, mostly erect, loosely contracted, purple; branches (2.1) 2.5-3.5 (5.4) cm, smooth or slightly scabrous, sometimes spikelet-bearing to the base, sometimes only on the distal 2/3. Spikelets (3.5) 4-5 (5.5) mm; rachilla prolongations 0.4-1 mm, hairs 1.8-3 mm. Glumes usually more than 3 times as long as wide, rounded to slightly keeled, usually purple for most of their length and smooth, keels rarely slightly scabrous, lateral-veins obscure, apices acute to acuminate; callus hairs (2) 3-3.5 (4.7) mm, (0.6) 0.8-1 (1.2) times as long as the lemmas, abundant; lemmas (2.5) 3-4 (5) mm, 0.3-1.5 (2.3) mm shorter than the glumes; awns 1.5-3 mm, attached to the lower 1/10 – 2/5 of the lemmas, usually not exserted, usually slender and similar to the callus hairs, sometimes stouter, straight to somewhat bent; anthers (1.1) 1.3-1.7 (2) mm, usually poorly developed, sterile. 2n = 28, 42-112, 140.

Distribution

Alaska, Alta., B.C., Greenland, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), Man., N.W.T., Nunavut, Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon

Discussion

Calamagrostis lapponica grows in northern and alpine tundra, particularly on ridgecrests and upper slopes, often with low shrubs including heathers, dwarf willows, and dwarf birch, usually on well-drained and coarse-textured (sand and gravel) soils, infrequently in meadows beside streams and lakeshores, very rarely in standing water, at 30-2300 m. It is circumboreal and circumpolar, ranging from Alaska to western Greeneland and Labrador, including the islands of the high arctic, south into the mountains of northern British Columbia and the west-central Rocky Mountains of Alberta. In Europe it extends south to about 60° N latitude, and in Asia south to North Korea.

Calamagrostis lapponica is sometimes easily confused with C. stricta (see next), but the two grow in different habitats. In addition, the glumes of C. lapponica have a smoother, more glossy appearance than those of C. stricta and are typically purple for most of their length, including the apices; the glumes of C. stricta are generally brown at the apices. A specimen from Nakat Inlet, Alaska (ALA #V116195, J. DeLapp and M. Duffy 93-339) appears to be C. lapponica, although it is in a very different habitat and at an unusually low elevation for the species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Calamagrostis lapponica"
140 +, 42 +  and 112 +
membranous +  and scarious +
hairy +, scabrous +  and smooth +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (?) +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br />) +
acute +  and acuminate +
Kendrick L. Marr +, Richard J. Hebda +  and Craig W. Greenef +
(Wahlenb.) Hartm. +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
attached +
exserted +  and lower +
indistinct +
1/10 +  and 2/5 +
slender +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
not evident +
flat +  and involute +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
2.1 cm21 mm <br />0.021 m <br /> (?) +
appressed;more or less drooping +
spikelike +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
(0.6)0.8-1(1.2) times as long as the lemmas +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
Lapland reedgrass +  and Calamagrostide de lapponie +
ascending +  and erect +
35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
not woody +
Alaska +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Greenland +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, Man. +, N.W.T. +, Nunavut +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +  and Yukon +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
sterile +  and bisexual +
compressed +
reduced +
subtending +
rounded +  and slightly keeled +
subequal +
membranous +
sparse +  and abundant +
uncinate +
0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
lanceolate +  and ovate +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
entire +  and truncate +
lacerate +, entire +, acute +, usually truncate +  and obtuse +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
concealed +  and prominent +
1 +  and 2 +
2 +  and 1 +
hairy +  and glabrous +
2-keeled +
8cm +  and 11cm +
spikelike +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
1 +  and 60 +
compressed +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Calamagrostis lapponica var. nearctica +  and Calamagrostis lapponica var. groenlandica +
Calamagrostis lapponica +
Calamagrostis +
species +
membranous +
parallel +  and converging +
obscure +  and prominent +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +