Poaceae - grass family
Maine is home to 218 species in 75 genera (hybrids excluded). If you know which species you have or are interested in learning about, click on the appropriate link from the species list below. Otherwise, to determine which genus your grass belongs to, refer to the table below the species list.
Agrostis (9 species)
Agrostis canina - dog bentgrass
Agrostis capillaris - Rhode Island bentgrass
Agrostis elliottiana - Elliott’s bentgrass
Agrostis gigantea - redtop bentgrass
Agrostis hyemalis - winter bentgrass
Agrostis mertensii - northern bentgrass
Agrostis perennans - autumn bentgrass
Agrostis scabra - rough bentgrass
Agrostis stolonifera - creeping bentgrass
Alopecurus (4 species)
Alopecurus aequalis - short-awned meadow-foxtail
Alopecurus geniculatus - marsh meadow-foxtail
Alopecurus myrosuroides - slender meadow-foxtail
Alopecurus pratensis - field meadow-foxtail
Ammophila (1 species)
Ammophila breviligulata - American beach grass
Andropogon (1 species)
Andropogon gerardii - big bluestem
Anthoxanthum (5 species)
Anthoxanthum hirtum - northern sweet grass
Anthoxanthum monticola - alpine sweet grass
Anthoxanthum nitens - vanilla sweet grass
Anthoxanthum odoratum - large sweet grass
Anthoxanthum ovatum var. aristatum - small sweet grass
Apera (2 species)
Apera interrupta - dense silky bentgrass
Apera spica-venti - loose silky bentgrass
Aristida (4 species)
Aristida basiramea - fork-lipped threeawn
Aristida dichotoma var. dichotoma - churchmouse threeawn
Aristida longespica - red threeawn
Aristida oligantha - oldfield threeawn
Arrhenatherum (1 species)
Arrhenatherum elatius - tall oat grass
Avena (2 species)
Avena fatua - wild oat
Avena sativa - oat
Beckmannia (1 species)
Beckmannia syzigachne - American slough grass
Bouteloua (4 species)
Bouteloua curtipendula var. curtipendula - sideoats grama
Bouteloua gracilis - blue grama
Bouteloua repens - slenda grama
Bouteloua simplex - mat grama
Brachyelytrum (1 species)
Brachyelytrum aristosum - northern long-awned wood grass
Briza (1 species)
Briza media - perennial quaking grass
Bromus (13 species)
Bromus arvensis - field brome
Bromus ciliatus - fringed brome
Bromus commutatus - meadow brome
Bromus erectus - upright brome
Bromus hordeaceus - soft brome
Bromus inermis ssp. inermis - smooth brome
Bromus japonicus - Japanese brome
Bromus kalmii - Kalm’s brome
Bromus latiglumis - flanged brome
Bromus marginatus - large mountain brome
Bromus pubescens - hairy wood brome
Bromus secalinus - rye brome
Bromus tectorum - cheat brome
Calamagrostis (4 species)
Calamagrostis canadensis - Canada reed grass
Calamagrostis cinnoides - Nuttall’s reed grass
Calamagrostis pickeringii - Pickering’s reed grass
Calamagrostis stricta - neglected reed grass
Cenchrus (2 species)
Cenchrus longispinus - long-spined sandbur
Cenchrus spinifex - coastal sandbur
Chloris (2 species)
Chloris cucullata - hooded windmill-grass
Chloris virgata - leather windmill-grass
Cinna (2 species)
Cinna arundinacea - sweet wood-reed
Cinna latifolia - slender wood-reed
Cynosurus (1 species)
Cynosurus cristatus - crested dogtail grass
Dactylis (1 species)
Dactylis glomerata - orchard grass
Dactylotenium (1 species)
Dactylotenium aegyptium - Durban crowfoot grass
Danthonia (2 species)
Danthonia compressa - flattened oatgrass
Danthonia spicata - poverty oatgrass
Deschampsia (5 species)
Deschampsia anadyrensis - glaucous hair grass
Deschampsia cespitosa - tufted hair grass
Deschampsia danthonioides - annual hair grass
Deschampsia elongata - slender hair grass
Deschampsia flexuosa - wavy hair grass
Dichanthelium (10 species)
Dichanthelium acuminatum - hairy rosette-panicgrass
Dichanthelium boreale - northern rosette-panicgrass
Dichanthelium clandestinum - deer-tongue rosette-panicgrass
Dichanthelium depauperatum - starved rosette-panicgrass
Dichanthelium dichotomum - forked rosette-panicgrass
Dichanthelium latifolium - broad-leaved rosette-panicgrass
Dichanthelium linearifolium - linear-leaved rosette-panicgrass
Dichanthelium oligosanthes ssp. scribnerianum - few-flowered rosette-panicgrass
Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon - round-fruited rosette-panicgrass
Dichanthelium xanthophysum - pale-leaved rosette-panicgrass
Digitaria (2 species)
Digitaria ischaemum - smooth crabgrass
Digitaria sanguinalis - hairy crabgrass
Distichlis (1 species)
Distichlis spicata - saltgrass
Echinochloa (3 species)
Echinochloa crus-galli - barnyard grass
Echinochloa frumentacea - billion-dollar barnyard grass
Echinochloa muricata - American barnyard grass
Eleusine (1 species)
Eleusine indica - goosegrass
Elymus (9 species)
Elymus canadensis - Great Plains wild-rye
Elymus glabriflorus - southeastern wild-rye
Elymus hystrix - eastern bottle-brush grass
Elymus macgregorii - early wild-rye
Elymus repens - quackgrass
Elymus riparius - eastern riverbank wild-rye
Elymus trachycaulus - wheatgrass
Elymus virginicus - common eastern wild-rye
Elymus wiegandii - Wiegand’s wild-rye
Eragrostis (10 species)
Eragrostis capillaris - lace lovegrass
Eragrostis cilianensis - stinking lovegrass
Eragrostis frankii - sandbar lovegrass
Eragrostis hypnoides - teal lovegrass
Eragrostis intermedia - plains lovegrass
Eragrostis mexicana ssp. virescens - Mexican lovegrass
Eragrostis minor - little lovegrass
Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea - tufted lovegrass
Eragrostis pilosa var. pilosa - India lovegrass
Eragrostis spectabilis - purple lovegrass
Festuca (6 species)
Festuca filiformis - fine-leaved sheep fescue
Festuca ovina - sheep fescue
Festuca prolifera - proliferous fescue
Festuca rubra - red fescue
Festuca subverticillata - nodding fescue
Festuca trachyphylla - hard fescue
Gastridium (1 species)
Gastridium phleoides - nit grass
Glyceria (9 species)
Glyceria acutiflora - sharp-scaled manna grass
Glyceria borealis - northern manna grass
Glyceria canadensis - rattlesnake manna grass
Glyceria grandis var. grandis - American manna grass
Glyceria laxa - flaccid manna grass
Glyceria melicaria - northeastern manna grass
Glyceria obtusa - Atlantic manna grass
Glyceria septentrionalis var. septentrionalis - floating manna grass
Glyceria striata - fowl manna grass
Graphephorum (1 species)
Graphephorum melicoides - graphephorum
Holcus (1 species)
Holcus lanatus - common velvet grass
Hordeum (4 species)
Hordeum jubatum ssp. jubatum - fox-tail barley
Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum - mouse barley
Hordeum pusillum - little barley
Hordeum vulgare - common barley
Koeleria (1 species)
Koeleria macrantha - prairie Koeleria’s grass
Leersia (2 species)
Leersia oryzoidea - rice cut grass
Leersia virginica - white cut grass
Leptochloa (1 species)
Leptochloa fusca - bearded sprangletop
Leymus (1 species)
Leymus mollis var. mollis - American lyme grass
Lolium (3 species)
Lolium multiflorum - Italian rye grass
Lolium perenne - perennial rye grass
Lolium temulentum ssp. temulentum - poison darnel
Milium (1 species)
Milium effusum ssp. cisatlanticum - millet grass
Miscanthus (1 species)
Miscanthus sacchariflorus - Amur silvergrass
Molinia (1 species)
Molinia caerulea - purple moorgrass
Muhlenbergia (10 species)
Muhlenbergia alopecuroides - bristly wolfstail
Muhlenbergia frondosa - wire-stemmed muhly
Muhlenbergia glomerata - spike muhly
Muhlenbergia mexicana - Mexican muhly
Muhlenbergia racemosa - marsh muhly
Muhlenbergia richardsonis - matted muhly
Muhlenbergia schreberi - nimblewill muhly
Muhlenbergia sobolifera - rock muhly
Muhlenbergia sylvatica - woodland muhly
Muhlenbergia uniflora - bog muhly
Oryzopsis (1 species)
Oryzopsis asperifolia - white-grained mountain-rice grass
Panicum (6 species)
Panicum capillare ssp. capillare - witch panicgrass
Panicum dichotomiflorum - fall panicgrass
Panicum miliaceum ssp. miliaceum - Proso millet
Panicum philadelphicum - Philadelphia panicgrass
Panicum tuckermanii - Tuckerman’s panicgrass
Panicum virgatum - switch panicgrass
Pappophorum (1 species)
Pappophorum vaginatum - whiplash pappus grass
Phalaris (2 species)
Phalaris arundinacea - reed canary grass
Phalaris canariensis - common canary grass
Phleum (2 species)
Phleum alpinum - mountain Timothy
Phleum pratense - common Timothy
Phragmites (2 species)
Phragmites americanus - American reed (rare)
Phragmites australis - common reed
Piptatherum (3 species)
Piptatherum canadense - Canadian mountain-rice grass
Piptatherum pungens - short-awned mountain-rice grass
Piptatherum racemosum - black-seeded mountain-rice grass
Poa (12 species)
Poa alsodes - grove blue grass
Poa annua - annual blue grass
Poa bulbosa ssp. vivipara - bulbous blue grass)
Poa compressa - flat-stemmed blue grass
Poa glauca ssp. glauca - glaucous blue grass
Poa laxa ssp. fernaldiana - wavy blue grass
Poa nemoralis - wood blue grass
Poa palustris - fowl meadow grass
Poa pratensis - Kentucky blue grass
Poa saltuensis - weak spear grass
Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia - curly blue grass
Poa trivialis ssp. trivialis - rough-sheathed blue grass
Polypogon (1 species)
Polypogon monspeliensis - annual rabbit’s-foot grass
Puccinellia (4 species)
Puccinellia distans - spreading alkali grass
Puccinellia fasciculata - saltmarsh alkali grass
Puccinellia maritima - seaside alkali grass
Puccinellia pumila - tundra alkali grass
Schedonorus (2 species)
Schedonorus arundinaceus - tall rye grass
Schedonorus pratensis - meadow rye grass
Schizachne (1 species)
Schyzachne purpurascens - false melic grass
Schizachyrium (1 species)
Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium - little bluestem
Secale (1 species)
Secale cereale - cultivated rye
Setaria (5 species)
Setaria faberi - Chinese foxtail
Setaria italica - millet foxtail
Setaria pumila ssp. pumila - yellow foxtail
Setaria verticillata - hooked foxtail
Setaria viridis var. viridis - green foxtail
Sorengia (1 species)
Sorengia longifolia - long-leaved redtop-panicgrass
Sorghastrum (1 species)
Sorghastrum nutans - Indian grass
Sphenopholis (2 species)
Sphenopholis intermedia - slender wedgescale
Sphenopholis obtusata - prairie wedgescale
Sporobolus (8 species)
Sporobolus alterniflorus - smooth cordgrass
Sporobolus compositus - rough dropseed
Sporobolus contractus - narrow-spiked dropseed
Sporobolus cryptandrus - sand dropseed
Sporobolus michauxianus - prairie cordgrass
Sporobolus neglectus - small dropseed
Sporobolus pumilus - saltmeadow cordgrass
Sporobolus vaginiflorus var. vaginiflorus - poverty dropseed
Thinopyrum (1 species)
Thinopyrum pycnanthum - tick quack grass
Torreyochloa (1 species)
Torreyochloa pallida - pale false manna grass
Tragus (2 species)
Tragus berteronianus - spike burgrass
Tragus racemosus - stalked burgrass
Triplasis (1 species)
Triplasis purpurea var. purpurea - purple sandgrass
Trisetum (1 species)
Trisetum spicatum - narrow false oat
Triticum (1 species)
Triticum aestivum - bread wheat
Vahlodea (1 species)
Vahlodea atropurpurea - arctic hair grass
Ventenata (1 species)
Ventenata dubia - North African grass
Vulpia (2 species)
Vulpia myuros - rat-tail six-weeks grass
Vulpia octoflora - eight-flowered six-weeks grass
Zea (1 species)
Zea mays ssp. mays - corn
Zizania (2 species)
Zizania aquatica var. aquatica - southern wild rice
Zizania palustris var. palustris - northern wild rice
Agrostis (bentgrass)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| A. canina | ||||||
| A. capillaris | ||||||
| A. elliottaian | ||||||
| A. gigantea | ||||||
| A. hyemalis | ||||||
| A. mertensii | ||||||
| A. perennans | ||||||
| A. scabra | ||||||
| A. stolonifera |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| A. aequalis | ||||||
| A. geniculatus | ||||||
| A. myrosuroides | ||||||
| A. pratensis |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| A. hirtum | ||||||
| A. monticola | ||||||
| A. nitens | ||||||
| A. odoratum | ||||||
| A. ovatum var. aristatum |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| A. interrupta | ||||||
| A. spica-venti |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| A. basiramea | ||||||
| A. dichotoma var. dichotoma | ||||||
| A. longespica | ||||||
| A. oligantha |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| A. fatua | ||||||
| A. sativa |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| B. curtipendula var. curtipendula | ||||||
| B. gracilis | ||||||
| B. repens | ||||||
| B. simplex |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| B. arvensis | ||||||
| B. ciliatus | ||||||
| B. commutatus | ||||||
| B. erectus | ||||||
| B. hordeaceus | ||||||
| B. inermis ssp. inermis | ||||||
| B. japonicus | ||||||
| B. kalmii | ||||||
| B. latiglumis | ||||||
| B. marginatus | ||||||
| B. pubescens | ||||||
| B. secalinus | ||||||
| B. tectorum |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| C. canadensis | ||||||
| C. cinnoides | ||||||
| C. pickeringii | ||||||
| C. stricta |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| C. longispinus | ||||||
| C. spinifex |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| C. cucullata | ||||||
| C. virgata |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| C. arundinacea | ||||||
| C. latifolia |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| D. compressa | ||||||
| D. spicata |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| D. anadyrensis | ||||||
| D. cespitosa | ||||||
| D. danthonioides | ||||||
| D. elongata | ||||||
| D. flexuosa |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| D. acuminatum | ||||||
| D. boreale | ||||||
| D. clandestinum | ||||||
| D. depauperatum | ||||||
| D. dichotomum | ||||||
| D. latifolium | ||||||
| D. linearifolium | ||||||
| D. oligosanthes ssp. scribnerianum | ||||||
| D. sphaerocarpon | ||||||
| D. xanthophysum |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| D. ischaemum | ||||||
| D. sanguinalis |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| E. crus-galli | ||||||
| E. frumentacea | ||||||
| E. muricata |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| E. canadensis | ||||||
| E. glabriflorus | ||||||
| E. hystrix | ||||||
| E. macgregorii | ||||||
| E. repens | ||||||
| E. riparius | ||||||
| E. trachycaulus | ||||||
| E. virginicus | ||||||
| E. wiegandii |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| E. capillaris | ||||||
| E. cilianensis | ||||||
| E. frankii | ||||||
| E. hypnoides | ||||||
| E. intermedia | ||||||
| E. mexicana ssp. virescens | ||||||
| E. minor | ||||||
| E. pectinacea var. pectinacea | ||||||
| E. pilosa var. pilosa | ||||||
| E. spectabilis |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| F. filiformis | ||||||
| F. ovina | ||||||
| F. prolifera | ||||||
| F. rubra | ||||||
| F. subverticillata | ||||||
| F. trachyphylla |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| G. acutiflora | ||||||
| G. borealis | ||||||
| G. canadensis | ||||||
| G. grandis var. grandis | ||||||
| G. laxa | ||||||
| G. melicaria | ||||||
| G. obtusa | ||||||
| G. septentrionalis var. septentrionalis | ||||||
| G. striata |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| H. jubatum ssp. jubatum | ||||||
| H. murinum ssp. leporinum | ||||||
| H. pusillum | ||||||
| H. vulgare |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| L. oryzoides | ||||||
| L. virginica |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| L. multiflorum | ||||||
| L. perenne | ||||||
| L. temulentum ssp. temulentum |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| M. alopecuroides | ||||||
| M. frondosa | ||||||
| M. glomerata | ||||||
| M. mexicana | ||||||
| M. racemosa | ||||||
| M. richardsonis | ||||||
| M. schreberi | ||||||
| M. sobolifera | ||||||
| M. sylvatica | ||||||
| M. uniflora |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| P. capillare ssp. capillare | ||||||
| P. dichotomiflorum | ||||||
| P. miliaceum ssp. miliaceum | ||||||
| P. philadelphicum | ||||||
| P. tuckermanii | ||||||
| P. virgatum |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| P. arundinacea | ||||||
| P. canariensis |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| P. alpinum | ||||||
| P. pratense |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| P. americanus | ||||||
| P. australis var. australis |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| P. cnandense | ||||||
| P. pungens | ||||||
| P. racemosum |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| P. alsodes | ||||||
| P. annua | ||||||
| P. bulbosa ssp. vivipara | ||||||
| P. compressa | ||||||
| P. glauca ssp. glauca | ||||||
| P. laxa ssp. fernaldiana | ||||||
| P. nemoralis | ||||||
| P. palustris | ||||||
| P. pratensis | ||||||
| P. saltuensis | ||||||
| P. secunda ssp. juncifolia | ||||||
| P. trivialis ssp. trivialis |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| P. distans | ||||||
| P. fasciculata | ||||||
| P. maritima | ||||||
| P. pumila |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| S. arundinaceus | ||||||
| S. pratensis |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| S. faberi | ||||||
| S. italica | ||||||
| S. pumila ssp. pumila | ||||||
| S. verticillata | ||||||
| S. viridis var. viridis |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| S. intermedia | ||||||
| S. obtusata |
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| S. alterniflorus | ||||||
| S. compositus | ||||||
| S. contractus | ||||||
| S. cryptandrus | ||||||
| S. michauxianus | ||||||
| S. neglectus | ||||||
| S. pumilus | ||||||
| S. vaginiflorus var. vaginiflorus |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| T. berteronianus | ||||||
| T. racemosus |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| V. myuros | ||||||
| V. octoflora |
| char. 1 | char. 2 | char. 3 | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| Z. aquatica var. aquatica | ||||||
| Z. palustris var. palustris |
Zizania aquatica var. aquatica (southern wild rice) - [information to be added]
Zizania palustris var. palustris (northern wild rice) - [information to be added]
Note:
1. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow Flora Novae Angliae by Arthur Haines (2011, Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-17154-9).
