Family: Poaceae
rice cut grass, rice cutgrass
[Leersia oryzoides f. glabra (L.) Sw., more...]
Emmet J. Judziewicz
Robert W. Freckmann
University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)
Etymology: Leersia: for Johann Daniel Leers, 18th century German botanist
Plants: sprawling perennial, 2-5' tall, semi-aquatic, emergent grass; thin rootstalk
Leaves: narrow, rough cutting edges with stiff spines
Flowers: lemma has stiff hairs, spikelets on branch ends and in upper leaf sheath
Fruits: thin spreading flat spiklets in 3-8 clusters
Habitat: wet; marshes, wet meadows, shores, swales
Conservation Status: Native
Plants: sprawling perennial, 2-5' tall, semi-aquatic, emergent grass; thin rootstalk
Leaves: narrow, rough cutting edges with stiff spines
Flowers: lemma has stiff hairs, spikelets on branch ends and in upper leaf sheath
Fruits: thin spreading flat spiklets in 3-8 clusters
Habitat: wet; marshes, wet meadows, shores, swales
Conservation Status: Native
Shores of lakes and ponds, riverbanks, along streams, marshes, mudflats, in clearings and light gaps of floodplain forests and hardwood or tamarack swamps, ditches, wet prairies, sedge meadows, wet fields, dune swales, coastal wetlands, shrub cars, sandbars and gravel bars, bog edges, Lake Michigan bedrock beaches, rock ledges along rivers, low areas along railroads. This species is common across the entire state and large populations are distinctive when in flower: the inflorescences have a yellowish color. Plants often produce cleistogamous spikelets which are hidden within the upper leaf sheaths (or barely exserted). One will quickly learn how rice cut-grass got its name by walking through a patch in shorts.
Flora of North America: Flora of North America Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 3, Wetland Indicator = OBL USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos Grasses of Iowa: Detailed photographs, descriptions, maps USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS): Images of seeds, fruits, embryos, etc.
Robert W. Freckmann
Kurt Stüber
