Glyceria striata Fowl Manna Grass
General
A cool season bunch grass found growing most commonly in wet woods, swamps, bogs, and riparian edges. Fowl Manna Grass is fairly common throughout North America. It is palatable to livestock, although not preferred by waterfowl.
Plant Description
Growing up to 5' tall in large clumps. Long, drooping inflorescences (panicles with spikelets), usually with purple flowers, often leaning to one side. The flowers are less fluffy than other closely related grasses.
Height (ft)
1-5
Soil moisture
Moist
Soil types
Average, loamy
Wetland indicator
OBL
Shade tolerance
Tolerant, Full sun to full shade, prefers partial shade
Bloom color
Green or purple
Bloom period
Summer
Drought tolerance
Low
Salinity tolerance
None
Distribution
Common throughout the North American continent, from Canada to Mexico, including Alaska. With in the contiguous United States, it is least common (but still present) in the Great Plains and surrounding the Gulf of Mexico.
Additional information
Brown, Lauren. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York City, 1979. LINK
Fassett, Norman C. A Manual of Aquatic Plants, First Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York and London, 1940. LINK
Garbisch, Edgar W., and McIninch, Suzanne M. Propagation of Wetland Plants: Herbaceous Plants, Shrubs and Trees. Environmental Concern, Inc. 2003. LINK
Harris, James G., and Harris, Melinda Woolf. Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, Second Edition. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, Utah. 2011. LINK
Hitchcock, A.S., and Chase, Agnes. Manual of the Grasses of the United States, Second Edition, Volume I. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1971. LINK
Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press) LINK
McKenny, Margaret and Peterson, Roger Tory. A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1968. LINK
Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Laurence Newcomb, Mexico. 1977. LINK
USDA, NRCS. 2021. PLANTS Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/, 08/20/2021). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. LINK
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/fm_grass.htm
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/grass-sedge-rush/fowl-manna-grass
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyceria_striata
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=glst
