TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
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) 1many; 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: 650900 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)
Reference: [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.
Annual, perennial herb
Leaves generally basal; ligule membranous; blade flat
Inflorescence panicle-like, cylindric to head-like, dense; spikelets compressed, generally paired, pairs short-stalked; lower spikelet generally < upper, generally fertile, sessile; upper spikelet sterile, short-stalked
Fertile spikelet bisexual; glumes lanceolate, 1-veined, awn 0; axis breaking above glumes and between florets; florets 23; lemma back rounded, faintly 5-veined, awned
Sterile spikelet persistent; axis not breaking apart; glumes, lemmas linear-lanceolate, rigid, 1-veined
Chromosomes: 2n=14,16
Species in genus: 8 species: Eur, w Asia, n Africa
Etymology: (Greek: dog tail, from shape of inflorescence)
Reference: [Jirasek & Chrtek 1964 Novit Bot Inst Prag 1964:2327]