Edible Sierra Nevada Plants
MONOCOTYLEDON KEYS - Continued
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Alismataceae - Water-plantain Family
A Plants with clear sap; flowers perfect - ALISMA
AA Plants with milky juice; flowers unisexual - SAGITTARIA
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Amaryllidaceae - Amaryllis Family
A Perianth-segments distinct or nearly so; Plants with onion-like odor and taste - ALLIUM
AA Perianth-segments united into more or less conspicuous basal tube; plants without odor - BRODIAEA
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Cyperaceae - Sedge Family
A Flowers all unisexual; akene surrounded by a sac-like bractlet
B Pistillate flowers all inclosed in perigynia - CAREX (Not Edible)
BB Pistillate flowers closely subtended by an inner glume; Convict Lake Basin - KOBRESIA (Not Edible)
AA Flowers perfect or perfect and staminate; akene naked
B Scales on the spikelet in 2 columns
C Stems 3-10 dm high, solitary, jointed; leaves about 10 cm long - DULICHIUM (Not Edible)
CC Stems less than 1 dm high, usually tufted; leaves 2-5 cm long, celery-scented - CYPERUS (Not Edible)
BB Scales of spikelet spirally imbricate
C Annuals from thread-like roots; bristles absent; involucre leaves present
D Stalks 0.3-4 cm high; spikelets about 2 mm long - HEMICARPHA
DD Stalks 5-25 cm high; spikelets oblong, 5-8 mm long - FIMBRISTYLIS (Not Edible)
CC Perrenials from rhizomes; bristles present, or if not then involucre leaves also absent
D Bristles conspicuous, soft, smooth, white - ERIOPHORUM (Not Edible)
DD Bristles hidden within scales, or if exserted then not as above
E Spikelet solitary, terminal, erect; involucre leaves none - ELIOCHARIS (Not Edible)
EE Spikelets various, but never as above - SCIRPUS
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Gramineae - Grass Family
The seeds of all Sierran grasses are edible but often small and tedious to collect.A The spikelets sessile or nearly so, borne in more or less 2 rows
B Spikelets solitary at each node or rachis (rarely 2 but never throughout)
C Spikes linear, about 1 mm thick; spikelets 1-flowered - SCRIBNERIA (Not Edible)
CC Spikes thicker; spikelets several-flowered - AGROPYRON
BB Spikelets normally more than 1 at each node
C Spikelets 3 at each node, 1-flowered, or the lateral pair reduced to awns - HORDEUM (Not Edible)
CC Spikelets 2 or more (sometimes 1 in Elymus) at each node, alike, 2-6 flowered
D Spike bushy-awned; awns much longer than spikelets; usually dry habitats - SITANION (Not Edible)
DD Awns often inconspicuous, usually shorter than or equal to spikelets; mainly moist habitats - ELYMUS
AA Spikelets usually on distinct pedicels, borne in an open or spike-like raceme or panicle
B Spikelets 1-flowered, mainly small
C Spikelet with a sterile floret below fertile one - PANICUM (Not Edible)
CC Spikelet with one fertile floret
D Inflorescence cylindrical, very dense, often like a cat-tail
E Spikelets with inconspicuous awns; inflorescence disintegrating leaving naked rachis - ALOPECURUS (Not Edible)
EE Spikelets with conspicuous purple-tipped awns; rachis disintegrating with inflorescence - PHLEUM (Not Edible)
DD Inflorescence more or less diffuse, not cat-tail-like
E Glumes over 4 mm long
F Glumes 8-16 mm long - STIPA (Not Edible)
FF Glumes 4-8 mm long
G Panicle more or less open, the spikelets short- to long-pedicelled - ORYZOPSIS
GG Panicle dense, spike-like - CALAMAGROSTIS PURPURASCENS (Not Edible)
EE Glumes 1-4 mm long
F Glumes falling with spikelet; stalks 5-15 dm high - CINNA (Not Edible)
FF Glumes remaining on pedicel; stalks usually shorter
G Glumes mainly shorter than lemmas - MUHLENBERGIA (Not Edible)
GG Glumes mainly longer than lemmas
H Flowers with a tuft of hairs at base; palea well developed - CALAMAGROSTIS (Not Edible)
HH Flowers without tufts of hairs; palea usually small or none - AGROSTIS (Not Edible)
BB Spikelets 2- to many-flowered
C Lemmas not awned (see also Festuca viridula, Bromus inermis)
D Veins on lemma converging at tip; blades narrow to hair-like - POA (Not Edible)
DD Veins on lemma parallel; blades flat, 3-10 mm wide
E Spikelets less than 6 mm long; plants of wet habitats
F Lemmas 5-nerved; leaf-sheath open at apex; often above 9000' - PUCCINELLIA (Not Edible)
FF Lemmas 7-nerved; leaf-sheath connate at apex; below 8500' - GLYCERIA
EE Spikelets over 7 mm long; plants of moist to dry habitats
F Lemmas 5-nerved; stalks not bulbous at base; spikelets erect; south Sierra Nevada - HESPEROCHLOA (Not Edible)
FF Lemmas 7-nerved; stalks bulbous at base or spikelets deflexed - MELICA (Not Edible)
CC Lemmas mainly awned; moist to dry habitats
D At least upper glume longer than lowest lemma and usually longer than remainder of spikelet; awn on lemma dorsal and usually bent
E Spikelets mainly 5-flowered - DANTHONIA (Not Edible)
EE Spikelets 2-flowered (occasionally 3-flowered in Trisetum)
F Awn (usually present) from above middle of lemma, conspicuously exserted - TRISETUM (Not Edible)
FF Awn from below middle of lemma, usually inconspicuous in intact spikelet - DESCHAMPSIA (Not Edible)
DD Neither glume longer than lowest lemma; awn on lemma terminal and straight (rarely dorsal in Bromus
E Glumes with membranous margins; lemmas 7-9-nerved, entire at apex - MELICA (Not Edible)
EE Glumes green or membranous throughout
F Lemmas entire at tip; nerves usually obscure, 5 or less - FESTUCA (Not Edible)
FF Lemmas 2-cleft at tip; nerves prominent, 5-9 - BROMUS (Not Edible)
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Liliaceae - Lily Family
A Stems leafless or stem leaves much reduced
B Leaves linear, usually many
C Leaves folded and sheathing each other at base
D Flowers 6-10 mm long; stamens densely yellow-hairy - NARTHECIUM (Not Edible)
DD Flowers 3.5-5 mm long; stamens glabrous - TOFIELDIA (Not Edible)
CC Leaves not equitant, usually over 2 dm long; flowers blue or white
D Petals 3-6 mm long; inflorescence a dense spicate raceme - SCHOENOLIRION (Not Edible)
DD Petals over 15 mm long; inflorescence variable
E Inflorescence a simple raceme, 2-5 cm wide; petals dark blue - CAMASSIA
EE Inflorescence a branching panicle over 5 cm wide; petals white with green midveins - CHLOROGALUM
BB Leaves broader, usually only 2-3
C Leaves broad; flowers not nodding; fruit a bery - CLINTONIA (Not Edible)
CC Leaves narrow; flowers nodding; fruit a capsule - ERYTHRONIUM
AA Stems usually leafy
B Styles 3, distinct to base
C Stem leaves in a whorl of 3 - TRILLIUM
CC Stem leaves alternate
D Leaves more or less elliptic, 10-20 cm wide - VERATRUM (Not Edible)
DD Leaves linear, mainly less than 2 cm wide
E Inflorescence open; pedicels less than 2 cm long; leaves 5-30 mm wide - ZIGADENUS (Not Edible)
EE Inflorescence dense, racemose; pedicels 2-5 cm long; leaves 2-4 mm wide above base - XEROPHYLLUM
BB Style 1 (occasionally 3-cleft); stigma lobed, grooved or entire
C Perianth-segments unlike, distinct sepals and petals - CALOCHORTUS
CC Perianth-segments alike, petaloid
D Leaves alternate, never whorled, often clasping; plant not from a bulb
E Stems climbing or straggling, vine-like, with tendrils - SMILAX
EE Stems not vine-like or with tendrils
F Flowers in terminal panicles or racemes - SMILACINA (Not Edible)
FF Flowers solitary or umbellate
G Flowers terminal, solitary or in a small umbel - DISPORUM
GG Flowers axillary, 1 or 2 together; Plumas County north - STREPTOPUS (Not Edible)
DD Leaves usually in whorls, not clasping; plant from a bulb or rootstock
E Style usually 3-cleft; anthers more or less basifixed; capsule usually winged - FRITILLARIA (Not Edible)
EE Style single, stigma 3-lobed; anthers versatile; capsule not winged - LILIUM
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