Anthoxanthum nitens (Weber) Schouten & Veldkamp, Poaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 4 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Hierochloe borealis Roem. & Schult.; Hierochloe odorata (L.) P. Beauv.; Holcus odoratus L.; Poa nitens Weber; Torresia odorata (L.) Hitchc.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: mao xiang

English: holy grass, manna grass, Seneca grass, sweet grass, vanilla grass

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Plant with slender creeping rhizomes. Culms 20-60 cm tall, 3-4-noded. Leaf sheaths glabrous or ± pubescent, longer than internodes; basal leaf blades up to 30 cm, 3-10 mm wide, culm leaves much shorter, glabrous or adaxial surface puberulous, margins scabrid, apex acuminate; ligule 2-5 mm, obtuse. Panicle pyramidal, loose, 4-10 cm; branches spreading, smooth, bare in lower half. Spikelets plumply elliptic, 3.5-6 mm, light brown, shining; glumes subequal, as long as spikelet, 1-3-veined; callus of staminate florets stiffly hairy (or glabrous in E. Asia); lower florets staminate, lemmas slightly shorter than glumes, puberulous on back above middle, margins shortly ciliate, apex acute or minutely mucronate; bisexual floret ca. 3.5 mm, appressed-pubescent toward apex; palea 1-veined; anthers ca. 2.5 mm"  (Flora of China online).

Habitat/ecology:  In China (native), "mountain slopes, floodplains, wet grasslands; 500-3800 m"  (Flora of China online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  North America (United States and Canada), Europe, Asia (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Canada Canada	Canada (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Fact sheet from USDA NRCS (PDF Format).
Plant guide from USDA NRCS (PDF Format).
Description and photos from the Northern Ontario Plant Database.

Additional online information about Anthoxanthum nitens is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Anthoxanthum nitens as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Anthoxanthum nitens may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).