GLYCERIA MAXIMA (POACEAE) IN NEW ENGLAND

5 Pages·1994·2.6 MB·English

by  Jeanne E Anderson

RHODORA,
No, 97-101, 1994
Vol.
96, 885, pp.
NEW
ENGLAND NOTE
NEW
MAXIMA ENGLAND
GLYCERIA
(POACEAE)
IN
Anderson and
Jeanne Reznicek
A. A.
E.
maxima Holmburg
Tall Mannagrass, Glyceria (Hartman) a
is
stout perennial Eurasian grass found as a native species through-
out most of northern Eurasia from the British Isles east to Japan
and Kamchatka, albeit absent from the extreme north and most
of the southwest of this range. (Tutin et 1980; Freckmann and
al.,
Reed, 1979). Dore and McNeill (1980) provide one of the few
among
keys North American manuals which
distinguishes G.
maxima
from They
the relatively similar G. grandis. separate G.
mm
maxima
by the length of the lower glume (2-3 versus 1.2-
mm
and by and
1.5 in G, grandis) the ascending panicle
stiff
branches and rough sheaths versus nodding panicle branches and
smooth Femald
sheaths in G. grandis, (1950) also distinguishes
&
name
maxima,
G. but under the G, spectabilis Mert. Koch.
The synonymy maxima
ascribed to G. thoroughly detailed by
is
Freckmann and Reed
(1979).
maxima
was
Glyceria United
collected in the States for the
first
&
time in 1975 in Racine County, Wisconsin {Wilhelm Schulen-
A
2161
berg mor). second collection located approximately 12
Oak
Milwaukee
miles east of the collection in Creek, County,
first
WI
made
was in 1979. {Reed uwsp). Both collections were
s.n.
reported in 1979 publications (Swink and Wilhelm, 1979; Freck-
mann
and
Reed,
1979).
maxima
Glyceria has been twice reported erroneously from the
maxima
United from
States, Jordal (1951) reported G. near Fair-
banks, Alaska, but the specimen (Jordal 3539, mich) G. grandis.
is
More
recently, an historical record of this species (as Glyceria
maxima
maxima) from Long (Latham
subsp, Mattituck, Island
New
mapped
35967, nys) in the Prehminary Vouchered Atlas of
York (New York
State Flora Flora Association, 990) has proven
1
(Gordon
to be a large individual of G. canadensis Tucker, pers,
comm.,
1992).
maxima
Three populations of Glyceria were discovered and
mapped Marc Audubon
by Lapin 1990 on Massachusetts
in the
Society's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in the towns of Tops-
Wenham,
and
Essex County, Massachusetts (Lapin,
field 1990).
97
Rhodora
98 [Vol, 96
Wenham
Reznicek
Voucher specimens were idenlihed by A. A.
1993.
in
Coun-
Specimens examined: Massachusetts. Essex
below.
as cited
Wenham
Wenham, Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Great
ty:
Swamp
Anderson
(behind Perkins Island), 23 Jul 1992, sm. (mich);
Swamp,
Brook
Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Mile
Topsfield,
An
from
Aug Anderson additional voucher
6 1992, (mich).
s.n.
Wenham
been Anderson October
has deposited:
the also s.n.
site
New
England
1992 (nebc). These collections are the first for
9,
documented United
and occurrence the
represent the third in
States.
Wenham
The population, within a high marsh system of the
Wenham
Swamp,
Great forms a near monoculture of about two-
rhizome
thirds of an acre. There a dense, but relatively shallow
is
system reaching about half a meter in depth. Aerial shoots exceed
two meters Only few individuals of Cephalanthus
in height. a
and Lythrum
Fraxinus pennsyhanica, salicaria per-
occidentalism
within patch. The grass also growing in a smaller stand,
this
sist is
meters square, located roughly 60 meters southeast of the
6.5
Wenham
shrub
Mile Brook, a tributary
A
The
largest of these patches covers 2 acres. portion of this
mat and
population exists as a floating of individual plants rhi-
Downstream
zomes which can be readily dislodged disturbed.
if
measures about
along the stream channel, a smaller stand 15
Sampling completed one of
meters diameter. section this
in in
swamp
1990 determined that four non-native species, Glyceria
in
maxima Rhamnus
(sub G. septentrionalis), frangula. Iris pseu-
67%
dacorus, and Lythrum salicaria accounted for of the relative
Of maxima
was most
community.
cover within this these, G. the
39%
prevalent species providing of the relative cover (Anderson,
back 1957
1991). This larger patch discernible at least as far as
is
maxima
was
on black and white photographs, however, G.
aerial
not reported for Essex County by Harris (1975).
Dore and McNeill (1980) and Dore (1947) note that the
first
herbarium specimens of North America were
this species in col-
Canada
from of Hamilton, Ontario, 1943,
lected the vicinity in
New
World
They
also report that the species' distribution in the
known
Other
concentrated primarily Ontario. stands are
in
is
&
MacKav
Somenos Columbia 31984
from Lake, British iCalder
New
England Note 99
1994]
Newfoundland Rou-
DAo) and Johns and (Day, 1991;
Brigus,
St.
and Lamoureux, The specimen reported Scoggan
leau 1992). in
from northern Alberta has been determined to be G. gran-
(1978)
comm.,
dis (Susan Aiken, pers. 1992).
maxima
Glyceria a aggressive species with the ability
large,
is
Freckmann and Reed
form huge stands wetlands. (1979)
to in
Oak
maxima
noted dominated acres of the
that G. at least 5
1
Creek 1979. This invasive tendency has been evident in
in
site
Ontario over the past years and has been a subject of study
fifty
Even
Europe Buttery and Lambert, 1964). within
in its
(e.g.,
maxima mono-
native range, the ability of G. to create virtual
under varying of disturbance of conservation
cultures levels is
swamp community
concern. Burgess (1990) report that the
et al.
dominated by maxima more than doubled area in the
type G. its
and
Ouse Washes, England between 1972 1988, largely in re-
summer
sponse to an overall increase in the incidence of flooding.
maxima on
This spread of has reduced plant species diversity
(7.
number
and consequence, reduced the of seed-pro-
the as a
site,
and
Cyperaceae Polygonace-
ducing plants (particularly within the
maxima
ae) available to wintering seed-feeding ducks. G, is re-
and
ported to be a poor foodplant for wintering grazing waterfowl
common
many
a poor nesting substrate for wetland species (Bur-
gess 1990).
et
al.,
maxima
The United should be
spread of Glyceria in the States
monitored has the potential to be a very
as
it
m
maxima
were
Canada, where 53 separate stands of G. located in
M
mile stretch of the
mechanis
ggested
9%
good Further information
that only to of the florets set grains.
1
North American coupled
on the spread of existing populations,
mechanisms and meth-
on
with additional data disoersal control
mes
oughly entrenched.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We
Gordon Tucker and Susan Aiken checking
are grateful to for
New
York and
the identity of the specimens supporting the Al-
maxima
berta reports of Glyceria respectively. Jacques Cayouette
Rhodora
100 [Vol.96
kindly sent us a great deal of information about the Canadian
of Bob Frcckmann and Ted Cochrane
distribution this species.
similarly sent us useful information on the Wisconsin Pa-
sites.
mela B. Weatherbee alerted us to the literature on one of the
Wisconsin populations of maxima, which we
G. for are thankful.
Thanks Mark
are also extended to Les MehrhofT, Sally Rooney,
Anderson, Michael Taylor, Roberta Lombardi, Jody and
Hall,
Keith Killingbeck for review of vouchers at their respective her-
baria.
LITERATURE CITED
Anderson, M. M. 1991. Population structure of Lythrum salicana in relation
New
wetland community structure. Master of Science thesis, University of
to
New
Hampshire, Durham, Hampshire.
Burgess, N. D., C. E. Evans and G. Thomas. 1990. Vegetation change on
J.
the Ouse Washes Wetland, England. 1972-88 and effects on their conser-
vation importance. Biol. Conserv. 53: 173-189.
Buttery, B. R. and M. Lambert. 1964, Competition between Glyceria max-
J.
ima and Phragmites communis in the region of Surlingham Broad. The
I.
competition mechanism. Ecol. 53: 163-181,
J.
A
Day, R. 1991. second Newfoundland locality for English Water Grass Glyceria
maxima. Osprey 11-12.
22(1):
W. maxima
Dore, G. 1947, Glyceria in Canada. Canad. Field-Naturalist 61:
174.
—
A
Wet
1953. Forage Species for Land. Proceedings of the Fifth Annual
.
Meeting, Eastern Canadian Society of Agronomy, Agriculture School,
Ste.
A12-A19.
Martine, Quebec,
pp.
—
and McNeill. Monograph
1980. Grasses of Ontario. 26. Biosyste-
J.
matics Research Institute, Research Branch, Agriculture Canada. Ottawa,
Ontario.
Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany, 8th ed. (corrected). D. Van
New
Company,
Nostrand York.
Freckmann, W. R. and D, M, Reed. 979. Glyceria maxima: a new, potentially
1
troublesome wetland weed. Bull. Bot. Club Wise. 1(2&3): 30-35.
1
maxima
Gutteridge, on
R. L. 1954, Glyceria the Mississippi River, Ontario,
1953. Canad. Field-Naturalist 68: 133-135,
Harris, K. 1975. The Flora of Essex County, Massachusetts. Pcabody Mu-
S.
MA.
seum, Salem,
JoRDAL, L. H. 1951. Plants from the vicinity of Fairbanks, Alaska, Rhodora 53:
156-160.
M, Management
Lapin, 990. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Ecological Plan,
1
Audubon MA.
Unpublished document. Massachusetts Society, Lincoln,
New York New
Flora
Association. 1990. Preliminary Vouchered Atlas of
York State Rora. Edition New York State Museum Institute, Albany, NY.
1.
Rouleau, and Lamoureux.
E. G. 1992. Atlas of the Vascular Plants of the
New
England Note
101
1994]
and Miquelon.
Island of Newfoundland and of the Islands of Saint Pierre
Quebec, Canada.
Saint-Henri-de-Levis,
2-
Gymnosper-
ScoGGAN, H. 1978. The Flora ofCanada, Part Pteridophyta,
J.
Museum
mae, Monocotyledonac. National of Natural Sciences Publications
Botany, No. Ottawa, Canada.
in 7(2),
The Morton
SwiNK, AND G. WiLHELM. 1979. Plants of the Chicago Region.
F.
Arboretum,
Lisle, Illinois.
Heywood, Burgess, D. M. Moore, D. H. Valentine,
TuTiN, T. G., V. A. N. A.
Ahsma-
M. Walters AND D.A.Webb, Eds. 1980. FloraEuropaca, Vol 5.
S.
Orchidaceae (Monocotyledons). Cambridge University Press.
taceae to
A.
E.
J.
AUDUBON
MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY
ROAD
SOUTH GREAT
MASSACHUSETTS
LINCOLN,
A. A. R.
HERBARIUM
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
NORTH UNIVERSITY BUILDING
ANN MICHIGAN
ARBOR,
48109-1057