Common Name:
BEAK GRASS
Synonym:
Diarrhena americana
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Coefficient of Conservatism:
9
Coefficient of Wetness:
-3
Wetness Index:
FACW
Physiognomy:
Nt P-Grass
Status:
T
R. W. Smith
D. americana of Michigan Flora.
Floodplain swamps, wooded river banks; local but sometimes abundant where present.
The uppermost florets in each spikelet are sterile. The firm leathery lemma and palea are widely spread at maturity by the conspicuous, bilaterally symmetrical swollen fruit.
This is a distinctive, attractive grass, with glossy foliage, forming large patches where abundant. It is readily recognized even vegetatively when one becomes familiar with its growth form.