List of graminoids of Soldiers Delight facts for kids
The Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area in western Baltimore County, Maryland, is a special place. It's home to many unique plants, especially a group called graminoids. Graminoids are a type of plant that looks like grass. They include true grasses, sedges, rushes, and cattails. These plants are important parts of the ecosystem at Soldiers Delight.
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About Soldiers Delight
Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area covers about 1,900 acres (7.7 square kilometers) of protected land. A big part of this area has a special kind of soil called "serpentine soil." This soil is unusual because it has high levels of certain minerals and low levels of others. This makes it hard for many plants to grow there. However, some plants, like many graminoids, are specially adapted to thrive in these conditions. Because of this, Soldiers Delight is home to several plant species that are rare or endangered elsewhere.
What are Graminoids?
Graminoids are a group of plants that look similar to grasses. They are all part of a larger group called Poales. This group includes four main families that you can find at Soldiers Delight:
- Grasses (Poaceae): These are the most common graminoids. They usually have hollow, round stems and leaves that grow in two rows.
- Sedges (Cyperaceae): Sedges often look like grasses, but they usually have solid, triangular stems. Their leaves grow in three rows. A common saying to remember them is "sedges have edges."
- Rushes (Juncaceae): Rushes typically have round, solid stems. They often grow in wet or damp areas.
- Cattails (Typhaceae): These are tall, wetland plants with long, flat leaves and a distinctive brown, sausage-shaped flower head.
Graminoid Families at Soldiers Delight
Sedge Family (Cyperaceae)
The Sedge Family is a large group of grass-like plants. They are known for their solid, often triangular stems. Many sedges grow in wet or damp places.
- Bulbostylis capillaris - Thread-leaf Beak-sedge
- Carex bicknellii - Bicknell's Sedge
- Carex bullata - Button Sedge
- Carex caroliniana - Carolina Sedge
- Carex cephalophora - Oval-headed Sedge
- Carex complanata - Hirsute Sedge
- Carex convoluta
- Carex flaccosperma - Thin-fruited Sedge
- Carex hystericina - Porcupine Sedge, Bottlebrush Sedge
- Carex lupulina - Hop Sedge
- Carex lurida - Lurid Sedge, Sallow Sedge
- Carex nigromarginata - Black-edge Sedge
- Carex pensylvanica - Pennsylvania Sedge
- Carex richardsonii - Richardson's Sedge
- Carex rosea - Rosy Sedge, Stellate Sedge, Curly-Styled Wood Sedge
- Carex seorsa - Weak Stellate Sedge
- Carex swanii - Swan's Sedge, Downy Green Sedge
- Carex umbellata - Parasol Sedge, Early Oak Sedge
- Cyperus esculentus - Yellow nutsedge
- Cyperus strigosus - Straw-colored Cyperus, Straw-colored Flat-sedge
- Eleocharis tenuis - Kill Cow, Slender Spikerush
- Eleocharis ovata - Blunt Spikerush, Ovate Spikerush
- Fimbristylis annua - Annual Fimbry
- Fimbristylis autumnalis - Autumn Sedge, Slender Fimbry
- Rhynchospora alba - White Beak-rush
- Scirpus atrovirens - Black Bulrush, Dark Green Bulrush
- Scirpus cyperinus - Woolgrass
- Scirpus hattorianus - Early Dark-green Bulrush, Mosquito Bulrush
- Schoenoplectus validus - Great Bulrush, Soft-stem Bulrush
- Scleria pauciflora - Carolina Whipgrass, Few-flower Nutrush
Rush Family (Juncaceae)
Plants in the Rush Family often have round, solid stems and prefer moist or wet habitats. They might look like grasses or sedges but have their own unique features.
- Juncus acuminatus - Tapertip Rush, Sharp-fruited Rush, Knotty Leaf Rush
- Juncus brevicaudatus - Short-tailed Rush, Narrow-panicle Rush
- Juncus bufonius - Toad Rush
- Juncus canadensis - Canada Rush
- Juncus dichotomus - Forked Rush
- Juncus dudley - Dudley's Rush
- Juncus effusus - Common or Soft rush
- Juncus secundus - Lopsided Rush, Nodding Rush
- Juncus subcaudatus - Tailed Rush
- Juncus tenuis - Path Rush, Slender rush, Poverty Rush, Field Rush
- Luzula bulbosa - Bulbous Woodrush
Grass Family (Poaceae)
The Grass Family is one of the largest plant families. True grasses have hollow, round stems and leaves that grow in two rows. They are found in almost every habitat on Earth.
- Agrostis gigantea - Redtop
- Agrostis hymenalis - Tickle Grass
- Agrostis hymenalis var. scabra - Tickle Grass
- Agrostis perennans - Autumn or Upland Bent
- Andropogon gerardi - Big Bluestem
- Andropogon glomeratus var. glomeratus - Bushy Bluestem
- Andropogon gyrans - Elliott's Bluestem
- Andropogon virginicus - Broom-sedge
- Anthoxanthum odoratum - Sweet Vernal Grass
- Aristida dichotoma - Poverty Grass, Three-awn Grass
- Aristida oligantha - Prairie Three-awn
- Aristida purpurascens - Purple Three-awn
- Arrhenatherum elatius - Tall Oat Grass
- Brachyelytrum erectum - Bearded Shorthusk
- Bromus commutatus - Upright or Hairy Chess
- Bromus japonicus - Japanese Bromegrass
- Bromus pubescens - Canada Brome
- Bromus secalinus - Chess, Cheat
- Bromus tectorum - Drooping Brome, Downy Chess, Downy Brome
- Cinna arundinacea - Stout Woodreed
- Cynodon dactylon - Bermuda Grass
- Dactylis glomerata - Orchard Grass
- Danthonia sericea - Downy Danthonia
- Danthonia spicata - Poverty Grass
- Deschampsia cespitosa - Tufted Hair-grass
- Deschampsia flexuosa - Crinkled Hair-grass
- Dichanthelium aciculare - Needle-leaf Rosette Grass
- Dichanthelium acuminatum var. fasciculatum - Western Panic Grass
- Dichanthelium boscii - Bosc's Panic Grass
- Dichanthelium clandestinum - Deer-tongue Grass
- Dichanthelium depauperatum - Starved Panic Grass
- Dichanthelium dichotomum - Bushy Panic Grass
- Dichanthelium linearifolium - Low Panic Grass
- Dichanthelium oligosanthes - Few-flowered Panic Grass
- Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon - Round-fruited Panic Grass
- Digitaria filiformis - Finger Grass
- Digitaria ischaemum - Smooth Crabgrass
- Digitaria sanguinalis - Crabgrass
- Echinochloa crus-galli - Barnyard Grass
- Eleusine indica - Goose-grass
- Elymus hystrix - Bottle-brush Grass
- Elymus virginicus - Virginia Wild-rye
- Elytrigia repens - Quackgrass, Witchgrass
- Eragrostis capillaris - Lace Grass
- Eragrostis cilianensis - Stink-grass
- Eragrostis minor - Little Lovegrass
- Eragrostis spectabilis - Purple Lovegrass
- Festuca elatior - Meadow Fescue, Tall Fescue
- Festuca ovina - Sheep Fescue
- Festuca rubra - Red Fescue
- Festuca subverticillata - Nodding Fescue
- Glyceria striata - Fowl Manna Grass
- Hierochloe odorata - Vanilla Grass, Holy Grass
- Holcus lanatus - Velvet Grass
- Leersia virginica - White Grass
- Lolium perenne - Perennial ryegrass
- Microstegium vimineum - Japanese Stilt Grass
- Miscanthus sinensis - Chinese silver grass, Eulalia
- Muhlenbergia frondosa - Wirestem Muhly
- Muhlenbergia mexicana - Satin Grass, Wire-stem Muhly
- Muhlenbergia schreberi - Nimblewill
- Muhlenbergia sobolifera - Branched Muhly
- Panicum capillare - Old Witch Grass
- Panicum dichotomiflorum - Spreading Witch Grass
- Panicum philadelphicum - Wood Witch Grass
- Panicum verrucosum - Warty Panic Grass
- Panicum virgatum - Switchgrass
- Paspalum laeve - Smooth Paspalum
- Phalaris arundinacea - Reed canary grass
- Phleum pratense - Timothy-grass
- Poa annua - Annual Meadow-grass, Spear grass
- Poa compressa - Canada Bluegrass
- Poa languida - Weak Speargrass
- Poa palustris - Fowl Meadow-grass
- Poa pratensis - Kentucky Bluegrass, Smooth Meadow-grass
- Poa trivialis - Rough-stalked Bluegrass
- Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem
- Setaria faberi - Faber's Foxtail
- Setaria geniculata - Knotroot Bristle-grass
- Setaria glauca - Yellow Foxtail
- Setaria viridis - Green Foxtail
- Sorghastrum nutans - Indian Grass
- Sorghum halepense - Johnson Grass
- Sphenopholis obtusata - Prairie Wedge-grass
- Sphenopholis obtusata var. major
- Sphenopholis pensylvanica - Swamp-oats
- Sporobolus vaginiflorus - Poverty Grass
- Tridens flavus - Purple-top
- Tripsacum dactyloides - Eastern Gamma-grass
- Vulpia octoflora - Six-weeks Fescue
Cattail Family (Typhaceae)
The Cattail Family includes well-known wetland plants. They are tall and have unique flower spikes that look like hot dogs or sausages.
- Typha latifolia - Broad-leaf Cat-tail
See also
- Ferns and fern allies of Soldiers Delight
- Lichens of Soldiers Delight
- Woody Plants of Soldiers Delight
- Wildflowers of Soldiers Delight
- Lichens of Maryland
- Natural Environment Area (Maryland)
- Grasses of the United States
