Features: The Forked Three-awned Grass (Aristida basiramea) is a member of a distinctive group of hardy plants that can colonize and grow in sandy soils. The common name refers to bristles (awns) that sprout from modified leaves (lemma) protecting the flower. A difficult species to identify, it was first documented by a botanist in Ontario in 1975 at Macy Lake in Simcoe County. A second population was discovered on nearby Christian Island in 1981.

Status: Endangered Provincially and Nationally

Range: The Forked Three-awned Grass occurs in mid-western North America, from Colorado south to Texas, east to Maine and north to Michigan and Ontario. Range Maps

Threats: The Forked Three-awned Grass is at the northern edge of its range here and was likely never common in Ontario. There are no data on historical changes in abundance or distribution in Ontario. In neighbouring Michigan, the species is rare and considered to be introduced. The Forked Three-awned Grass colonizes sand barrens, a habitat that has disappeared in many parts of Ontario because of cottage development and forestry.

Protection: The Forked Three-awned Grass is listed as an endangered species under Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007, which protects this species from being killed, harmed, or collected. One population is in a National Park, while other populations are on private land.

Text Sources: Allen 2002

Last Modified Date: October 2008