Scientific Name
Danthonia intermedia Vasey (Synonyms: Danthonia canadensis)
Common Name(s)
Timber oatgrass, intermediate oatgrass, timber wild oatgrass, timber danthonia
Tribe / Family Name
Danthonieae
Flowering Period
June to August
Symbol
DAIN
Description
Timber oatgrass is a native cool-season perennial bunchgrass that spreads by seeds, tillers, and cleistogamous spikelets. Culms usually range from 10–50 cm in height. Its inflorescence is a narrow panicle or raceme usually 3–6 cm long, purplish in color with lower branches erect and stiff, and bearing (4)5 to 10 spikelets. Spikelets are usually 11–15 mm long, 3-to 6-flowered, and awned (awns are 6.5-8 mm long, geniculate and twisted, and attached just below the lobes of the lemmas). Ligules are a fringe of hairs and up to 0.5 mm long.
General Info
Timber oatgrass can be found in boreal and alpine meadows, open woods, grassy sites, and rocky slopes.
Similar Species
Timber oatgrass can be confused with other oatgrasses, such as California oatgrass (Danthonia californica) and onespike danthonia (Danthonia unispicata). To differentiate these plants from each other, look at the number of spikelets on the different types of inflorescences. Timber oatgrass has a narrow panicle or raceme with 5–10 spikelets, California oatgrass has an open panicle or raceme with 3–5 spikelets, and onespike danthonia has a reduced single spikelet, but can sometimes have two or three. Another difference between timber oatgrass and onespike danthonia are the stems. Timber oatgrass has glabrous stems, and onespike danthonia has uniquely hairy stems.
Picture of growth habit.
Inflorescence is a narrow panicle or raceme with (sometimes 4) 5-10 spikelets.
Close-up picture of spikelet.
Close-up picture of hairy ligule.
Illustration of timber oatgrass. USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. <i>An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols.</i> Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 222.
Distribution map of timber oatgrass. USDA PLANTS database, 2022.