American Mannagrass, Glyceria grandis, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

	Grasses of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Height	Prime Season
	American Mannagrass	Glyceria grandis S. Watson	Poaceae (Grasses)	Woodland	24 to 60 inches	Late June to August
	Native Status	American Mannagrass is a native perennial that grows in all of Canada and in all of the United States except the warm and humid SE from Texas and Oklahoma eastward. In is found in Minnesota throughout the state with about a dozen county exceptions, most of those in the SW Quadrant.
Notes	There are two Glyceria species in the Garden - G. grandis and G. striata (Fowl Mannagrass). The genus name is Greek for "sweet", which is the taste of the grain, and is palatable. The common name "mannagrass" would then be a somewhat biblical reference. They are both plants of wet or moist areas. The two species can be easily confused with each other as both have spikelets that are short (less than 1cm) and flattened. The key differences are in the details of the glumes and stamens. Also - American Mannagrass has leaf sheaths closed for at least half their length, flowering heads 10 to 14 inches long (25-37cm), branches spreading to drooping, spikelets 4.5 to 6.6mm long. Fowl Mannagrass has leaf sheaths closed for most of their length, flowering heads are shorter, 3 to 8 inches long (8-21cm), branches straight to lax, lower branches widespread and drooping. Both grow from rhizomes.


Photo above and top left ©Anna Gardner, Iowa State University.	Above - Drawing courtesy USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. USDA Miscellaneous Publication No. 200. Washington, DC.

Notes: This grass is indigenous to the Garden. Eloise Butler catalogued it in her early Garden Records.

Other Links:----------- -----------Common Name Plant List ---------Scientific Name Plant List----------Home Page

References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 28c, W2, W3, W5 & W6. Distribution principally from W2 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

020411