ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Anthoxanthum odoratum
 
 
 CLASS:    MONOCOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    CYPERALES
 FAMILY:   POACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Anthoxanthum odoratum
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    SWEET VERMAL GRASS
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: ANCD
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     PRAIRIE
     SAVANNA
       BARREN
     CULTURAL
       AGRICULTURAL FIELD
         PASTURELAND
       SUCCESSIONAL FIELD
       DEVELOPED LAND
       PLANTATION
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     NO
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   COOK            DUPAGE          GRUNDY          LAKE
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Monocot
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (fibrous)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Parallel
    LEAF SHAPE:     Linear
    INFLORESCENCE:   Panicle
    FLOWER MEROUS:  3
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   Grain
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Spikelets are brownish-green, awns of empty lemmas included or
     barely exserted, tufted, perennials to nearly 1 m. tall.
     Versus Anthoxanthum aristatum, has faintly sweet fragrance.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Introduced-  Europe
 
 GEOGRAPHIC COMMENTS:
     Species is found throughout eastern U.S. and Pacific Coast. Only
     four extreme northeast counties in Illinois.
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Uncommon
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Grasslike
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      5         MONTH END-      8
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is distributed along railroads, waste ground; in meadows,
     lawns, Morton Arboretum.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MYCORRHIZAE:   endomycorrhizal
 
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     ALLERGENIC:  Yes
 
     WILD HERBS:   Culinary-flavor
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     This is one of the most "offensive" hayfever grasses. Dried
     plants may be boiled and used as a tea. "In our opinion,
     its fragrance is overstressed." (Ref. 7).
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:   No data entered
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   COLONIZING
 
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Mohlenbrock, R. H.  1967-continuing.  The illustrated flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
Downton, W. J. S.  1975.  The occurrence of C4 photosynthesis among plants.
     Photosynthetica 9(1): 96-105.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Anthoxanthum odoratum
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015