Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Key to Tridens

Copy permalink to share

Show caption*© Bruce A. Sorrie 1 Panicle dense and spike-like, > 4× as long as wide, the branches ascending to appressed.

2 Plants from elongate rhizomes; lemma 4-5 mm long; spikelet 7-9 mm long  Tridens carolinianus

2 Plants cespitose; lemma 2.5-3 mm long; spikelet 4-6 mm long  Tridens strictus

Show caption*© Richard & Teresa Ware 1 Panicle open and spreading, < 4× as long as wide, the branches well-developed and spreading-ascending to reflexed.

3 Spikelets 4-5 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide  Tridens ambiguus

3 Spikelets 6-8 mm long, 1.5-2.2 mm wide.

Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming       4 Primary pulvini densely pubescent, the hairs encircling the base of the panicle branch; secondary pulvini pubescent; spikelets mostly on pedicels 3-20 mm long, these divergent from the inflorescence branchlets; main branches of the inflorescence stiffly spreading  Tridens chapmanii

Show caption*© Richard & Teresa Ware       4 Primary pulvini glabrous to sparsely pubescent, tufted only in the axil (the upper surface of the panicle branch); secondary pulvini glabrous; spikelets on pedicels mostly < 3 mm long, these mainly appressed to the inflorescence branchlets; main branches of the inflorescence spreading, ascending or drooping  Tridens flavus