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A3808 Glyceria grandis - Glyceria striata - Glyceria borealis Wet Meadow Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This herbaceous wetland alliance is characterized by a dense herbaceous layer dominated by Glyceria borealis, Glyceria striata, or Glyceria grandis. Stands are seasonally or permanently flooded and occur on the margins of ponds and reservoirs and in wet meadows on floodplains of low-gradient streams, springs, sloughs, and ditches in the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Intermountain West ranges, and Rocky Mountains.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: American Mannagrass - Fowl Mannagrass - Small Floating Mannagrass Wet Meadow Alliance

Colloquial Name: Western Mannagrass Wet Meadow

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This wetland herbaceous alliance is characterized by a dense herbaceous layer dominated by Glyceria borealis, Glyceria striata, or Glyceria grandis, up to 2 m tall. Other graminoids that may be present include Agrostis scabra, Carex aquatilis, Carex athrostachya, Carex nebrascensis, Carex utriculata, Carex vesicaria, Cinna latifolia, Eleocharis spp., Juncus spp., Leersia oryzoides, or Phalaris arundinacea. A variety of forbs include Bidens cernua, Cerastium spp., Epilobium spp., Epilobium hornemannii, Mentha arvensis, Mimulus guttatus, Montia chamissoi, Polygonum spp., Potentilla spp., Rumex crispus, Senecio spp., Solidago canadensis, or Veronica americana. This alliance is found in the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Intermountain West ranges, and Rocky Mountains. Elevation ranges from 460 to 2700 m (1500-8900 feet). Stands are seasonally or permanently flooded and occur on the margins of ponds and reservoirs and in wet meadows on floodplains of low-gradient streams, springs, sloughs, and ditches. Substrates vary from organic to fine-textured mineral soils but tend to be deep, poorly drained, alluvial soils. Mineral soils typically have a thick layer of organic muck.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Wet graminoid-dominated meadows dominated by Glyceria spp.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: No Data Available

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Herbaceous tall, rhizomatous, perennial graminoids.

Floristics: This alliance consists of herbaceous patches dominated by Glyceria borealis, Glyceria striata (= Glyceria elata), or Glyceria grandis, one of which can form monotypic stands. However, other graminoids may be present, such as Agrostis scabra, Carex aquatilis, Carex athrostachya, Carex nebrascensis, Carex utriculata, Carex vesicaria, Cyperus spp., Eleocharis acicularis, Eleocharis palustris, Elymus glaucus ssp. jepsonii, Juncus balticus, Juncus orthophyllus, Leersia oryzoides, and Phalaris arundinacea. Forbs may include Bidens cernua, Castilleja miniata, Cerastium arvense ssp. strictum, Cerastium fontanum, Cinna latifolia, Epilobium hornemannii, Epilobium ciliatum, Lotus oblongifolius, Mentha arvensis, Mimulus guttatus, Montia chamissoi, Oxypolis occidentalis, Platanthera dilatata (= Habenaria dilatata), Persicaria spp., Potentilla sp., Ranunculus aquatilis, Rumex crispus, Senecio clarkianus, Senecio triangularis, Sidalcea ranunculacea, Solidago canadensis, Sparganium angustifolium, Stachys albens, Veratrum californicum, Veronica americana and Viola glabella (Halpern 1986, Evenden 1990, Kittel et al. 1999b, Jankovsky-Jones et al. 2001, Hansen and Hall 2002, Crawford 2003). Introduced species are present in disturbed stands and include Agrostis stolonifera, Alopecurus aequalis, Phleum pratense, and Poa palustris.

Dynamics:  No information is available about the dynamics of this alliance at this time.
Environmental Description:  This alliance occurs in wetlands along pond and lake margins, low-gradient streams or ditches located between 460-2700 m in elevation. Stands are found on level sites in standing water. Water is present above the soil surface throughout the summer. Soils are poorly to very poorly drained and vary from mineral to organic. Mineral soils usually have a thick layer of organic matter in the upper horizon (Hansen et al. 1988a, Evenden 1990, Kittel et al. 1999b, Jankovsky-Jones et al. 2001, Hansen and Hall 2002, Crawford 2003).
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Intermountain West ranges, and Rocky Mountains.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  AB, BC, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, WA, WY


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation F013 2.C.4
Division 2.C.4.Nb Western North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D031 2.C.4.Nb
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Nb.5 Sitka Alder - Booth''s Willow / Northwest Territory Sedge Montane Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M893 2.C.4.Nb.5
Group 2.C.4.Nb.5.b Sedge species - Reedgrass species Montane Wet Meadow & Marsh Group G521 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Alliance A3808 American Mannagrass - Fowl Mannagrass - Small Floating Mannagrass Wet Meadow Alliance A3808 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL000219 Fowl Mannagrass Wet Meadow CEGL000219 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001569 Small Floating Mannagrass Wet Meadow CEGL001569 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL003322 Panicled Bulrush Marsh CEGL003322 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL003429 American Mannagrass Wet Meadow CEGL003429 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL005819 Fowl Mannagrass Sierran Wet Meadow CEGL005819 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Concept Lineage: A.2578, A.1445

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Glyceria (elata, striata) (Manna grass meadows) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [41.222.00]
? Glyceria (elata, striata) Herbaceous Alliance (CNPS 2017) [41.222.00]
Concept Author(s): G. Kittel, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: G. Kittel, M. Damm, M.S. Reid, K.A. Schulz

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 09-26-14
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