Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Common Arrowgrass
Triglochin maritima
Arrow-Grass family (Juncaginaceae)

Arrowgrass is found in the Pacific coastal states, through the western and northern United States, and throughout Canada. It is often found in thick patches, and its leaves at first appear to be those of a or grass. Careful examination shows the yellow/green flowers with pink plumules. When Arrowgrass is in flower, a quick tap on the will produce a cloud of pollen. Linnaeus named this in 1753 and also named this species. "Triglochin" refers to the "three-pointed" of some members of this . "Maritima," "of the sea," refers to one very common location of this plant; it is sometimes called "Seaside Arrowgrass."


©2008 Steve Matson

Description

like plants growing in moist or wet soils. Leaves all , narrow, and grasslike but somewhat angled. Flowers in narrow often over 17" long and terminating long . of 6 segments. 6, or nearly so. of 6 . about 1/5" long.

Field Marks

Tall, slender wetland plant with long of tiny pink-looking flowers.

© Al Schneider

stamen -- the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower; The stamen consists of an anther supported by a filament.

rush -- A grass-like plant often growing in a marsh with rounded, hollow stems. A member of the Juncaceae family.

A raceme is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along its axis.

carpel -- the basic female reproductive organ in flowering plants, consisting of the stigma, style, and ovary.

A herb is a plant whose stems die back to the ground in the winter.

perianth -- the non-reproductive part of the flower such as petals and sepals.

perfect flower -- a bisexual flower, having both male and female parts.

basal -- at the base, situated or attached at the base.

fruit -- any seed-bearing structure in flowering plants. It is formed from the ovary after flowering.

stalk -- The supporting structure of an organ. Examples of stalks are stem, peduncle, petiole, ...

sessile -- attached without a stalk. For example, a leaf that clasps the stalk. A petiolate leaf has a stalk.

The anther is a pad at the end of the stamen that holds the pollen.

scape -- a long, leafless flower stalk coming directly from a root. The tulip has a scape.

genus -- A subdivision of a botanical Family in which all members have a significant number of similar characteristics.

A pistil is the female structure of many flowers. It contains one or more carpels. Each carpel contins an ovary, style and stigma. The stigma receives the pollen which grows thru the style to reach the ovary.