Diarrhena americana

Diarrhea americana
1950 drawing[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Genus:	Diarrhena
Species:	D. americana
Binomial name
Diarrhena americana P.Beauv. 1812
Synonyms[2]
Festuca diandra Michx 1803 not Moench 1794 Diarina festucoides Raf. Korycarpus arundinaceus Zea ex Lag. Roemeria zeae Roem. & Schult. Corycarpus diandrus Kuntze Diarina sylvatica Raf. Diarrhena arundinacea (Zea ex Lag.) Rydb. Diarrhena festucoides (Raf.) Fernald Festuca diandra Michx.

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Diarrhena americana, also known as American beak grass or American beakgrain, is a native, perennial grass of North America,^[3] where it grows in rich, moist woodlands from Missouri to Maryland and south to Oklahoma and Alabama.^[4] It is considered to be threatened in Michigan, and is listed as endangered in Maryland and Wisconsin.^[5] Culms range from 60–131 cm in height. Historically, Diarrhena americana was the only species of beak grass recognized in the United States; however studies have suggested that the known beak grass is to be classified into two distinct species, Diarrhena americana and Diarrhena obovata.^[6]

Distribution

Diarrhena americana naturally occurs throughout the mid-east part of the United States. It ranges from Oklahoma to the east coast, and can even be seen as far north as Michigan.^[7] Even though there is a rather large range in the United States, Diarrhena americana is now considered a distinct species with a more northern range, where much of the population is seen in southern Illinois.^[8]

Habitat and ecology

Diarrhena americana lives in rich cove forests and woodlands, preferring to grow in the moist soils of shaded ledges and riverbanks.^[9] Plants grow 2 to 3 feet tall in clumps with bright green blades with a width that can grow up to 3/4 of an inch wide. These perennial plants can grow flowers that grow above the foliage during the summer, which then give way to hard, brown seed heads as a method of seed dispersal.^[10]

Morphology

Diarrhena americana - Berlin Botanical Garden

Diarrhena americana is an ornamental grass that prefers to grow in shaded areas in clumps, with 3 inch tall floral spikes of nondescript, insignificant tan beaked flowers.^[11][12]

Flowers and fruit

Diarrhena americana can, and does, grow flowers as a formation of seeds. Flowers grow during the early summer, and by late summer turn into hard, brown seed heads. Each seed is reduced to a blunt beak, which is where the common name of beak grass comes from, and this beak is dispersed.^[13]

Usage

Diarrhena americana is an ornamental grass, and are grown in home gardens. It is considered an easy plant to grow and maintain, not needing much sun or water while generally being a tough plant, and seeds can be bought in stores and online.^[14][15]

References

• Brandenburg, D.M., J.R. Estes, and S.L. Collins. 1991. A revision of Diarrhena (Poaceae) in the United States. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 118:128–136.
• Koyama, T. and S. Kawano. 1964. Critical taxa of grasses with North American and eastern Asiatic distribution. Canad. J. Bot. 42:859–864.
• Tateoka, T. 1960. Cytology in grass systematics: A critical review. Nucleus (Calcutta) 3:81–110.

External links

• photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Missouri in 1990