TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL	previous taxon | next taxon Jepson Interchange (more information)
	©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California Print edition is available from the University of California Press

	The second edition of The Jepson Manual (2012) is available from the University of California Press
	See also the Jepson eFlora, which parallels the Second Edition

POACEAE

GRASS FAMILY

James P. Smith, Jr., except as specified

Annual to bamboo-like; roots generally fibrous
Stem generally round, hollow; nodes swollen, solid
Leaves alternate, 2-ranked, generally linear; sheath generally open; ligule membranous or hairy, at blade base
Inflorescence various (of generally many spikelets)
Spikelet: glumes generally 2; florets (lemma, palea, flower) 1–many; lemma generally membranous, sometimes glume-like; palea generally ± transparent, ± enclosed by lemma
Flower generally bisexual, minute; stamens generally 3; stigmas generally 2, generally plumose
Fruit: achene-like grain
Genera in family: 650–900 genera; ± 10,000 species: worldwide; greatest economic importance of any family (wheat, rice, maize, millet, sorghum, sugar cane, forage crops, ornamental, weeds; thatching, weaving, building materials). [Hitchcock 1951 Manual grasses US, USDA Misc Publ 200; Clayton & Renvoise 1986 Kew Bull Add Series 13] See Glossary p. 26 for illustrations of general family characteristics. Generally wind-pollinated.

CALAMAGROSTIS

REED GRASS

Craig W. Greene

Perennial, generally from rhizomes
Stems 1–15 dm, generally not branched, ± smooth; nodes generally 2–4
Leaves generally basal and cauline; sheath smooth or scabrous; ligule membranous; blade flat to inrolled
Inflorescence panicle-like, open to dense; branches ± drooping to appressed; spikelets ascending to appressed
Spikelet: glumes subequal, generally lanceolate, acute to acuminate, lower generally 1-veined, upper 3-veined; floret 1, breaking above glumes; axis prolonged beyond floret, hairy; callus hairy; lemma < glumes, awned from below middle to near base, tip generally 4-toothed, veins 3–5, awn straight to twisted, bent; palea ± = lemma, thin
Species in genus: ± 100 species: cool temp (especially moist montane); some forage value
Etymology: (Greek: reed grass)
Reference: [Greene 1980 Ph.D. Thesis Harvard University]
Hybridization, polyploidy, and asexual seed set contribute to taxonomic difficulty.

Native

C. stricta (Timm) Koeler

Loosely cespitose
Stem 2–24 dm
Leaf: sheath smooth; ligule 1–5.5 mm; blade 2–5 mm wide, generally inrolled, lower surface generally smooth, upper surface smooth to scabrous
Inflorescence 5–20 cm, dense, narrow; branches < 1.5–5+ cm, ascending to appressed
Spikelet: glumes 2–6 mm, smooth to scabrous; axis ± 1 mm, hairs = callus hairs; callus hairs 1/2 to = lemma length; lemma 2–5 mm, fine-scabrous, awned at or below middle; awn ± = glume tip, generally straight
Ecology: Mtn slopes, meadows, coastal marshes
Elevation: < 3400 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range, High Sierra Nevada, Central Coast, White and Inyo Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Alaska, ne N.America, Eurasia
Sspp. intergrade.

Native

subsp. inexpansa (A. Gray) C.W. Greene

Stem 4–12 dm
Leaf: ligule 2–5.5 mm; blade flat, strongly scabrous, upper surface generally glaucous
Inflorescence 6–20 cm; longest branches < 5+ cm
Spikelet: glumes 3–6 mm, generally thick, opaque; callus hairs 2/3 to = lemma; lemma 2.5–5 mm; awn sometimes twisted, bent, stiff; anthers generally sterile
Chromosomes: 2n=28,56,58,70,84–±120
Ecology: Habitats of sp.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range, n&c High Sierra Nevada, Central Coast
Distribution outside California: to Alaska, ne N.America, ne Asia
Synonyms: C. i. A. Gray
Some plants set seed asexually. Plants from CCo with hard glumes have been called C. crassiglumis Thurber, Thurber's reed grass.