Couplets have not yet been developed beyond the last choice you made (use the back button to return to that page). Possibly, your choices do not match any known grass from either Hawai‘i or Guam (redo the key and see what results you get). Our Key to the Grasses of Hawai‘i and Guam covers 187 taxa (species, subspecies, and varieties) of grasses and 89 taxa of grasses found on Guam (nearly 69%). The majority of grasses found in Hawai‘i below about 760 m (2500 ft) elevation should be identifiable with the key; and species are being added all of the time. If you reached this page, you might START OVER and check for a list at the bottom of each page giving species not covered in the key.
Figure O. Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) in anthesis. Yellow structures are the stamens, releasing pollen.
The author would appreciate constructive input where problems are encounterted in the key or a specimen in hand cannot be correctly identified using the key. You may send comments to the author (guinther@aecos.com). If you encounter a grass you cannot identify with this key you may place it in an envelope (there must be an inflorescence, but specimen can be dried) with a note that includes location and island and your email address for a return answer (if I can identify it). Mail the specimen to "E. Guinther, 45-309 Akimala Pl. Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, 96744".
One way the keys in A Key to the Grasses, Sedges, & Rushes of the Hawaiian Islands and Guam are expanded is by combing the literature covering grasses in the Hawaiian and Marianas Islands. This effort regularly reveals species presumed present but not yet (if ever) included in our keys. On many pages in the key, these species appear at the bottom of a page. Others—grass species not included in our key (along with some references that include the species) or listed anywhere else in our document—are presented here:
These species are considered valid species and not necessarily of questionable distribution in the islands. For Hawai‘i, these species may be very rare or found only at high elevations or having a very limited distribution. Many may be widespread but have yet to be worked into our key. For the Marianas, species known from the archipelago, but not recorded from Guam, are usually included in the keys, but may get listed here.
The references cited above include species that have been recorded as occurring in Hawai‘i or Guam, but are of uncertain continued occurrence there today. By way of example, Wagner, Herbst, & Sohmer (1990) list 23 grasses that "have been collected in Hawai‘i only once or a few times, and their current status is uncertain". These 23 species are not included in the Manual grass keys or detailed species descriptions. Yet, a few have, since 1990, become widespread on one or more islands. The list presented above is intended to direct further expansion of our keys and indicate the extent to which our keys are incomplete, independent of the liklihood of a naturalist encountering the truely rare ones.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
: START of GRASS KEY
HAWAI‘I INTRODUCTION
GUAM INTRODUCTION
AECOS, Inc.
