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.
Perennial, generally cespitose, generally ± glabrous; bisexual, dioecious in F. kingii
Stem erect
Leaves ± basal; sheath generally persisting; collar generally glabrous; ligule generally < 1 mm, membranous, truncate, minutely fringed; blade flat or rolled, basal lobes generally 0
Inflorescence panicle-like; branches dense and appressed to open and spreading
Spikelet: glumes < lowest floret, unequal, lower 13-veined, upper 35-veined; axis breaking above glumes and between florets, florets 210, generally bisexual; lemma base generally glabrous, 5-veined (rarely 3- or 7-veined), not converging at tip; awn generally terminal, straight, glabrous; palea ± = lemma; stamens 3
Fruit free from palea, generally beakless
Etymology: (Latin: ancient name)
Reference: [Frederiksen 1982 Nord J Bot 2:525536]
Introduced |
Stems 313 dm, loosely clumped; nodes visible
Leaf: sheath shredding with age; ligule < 0.5 mm; blade 1030 cm, 27 mm wide, flat or loosely rolled, basal lobes ± clasping stem, glabrous
Inflorescence 1025 cm, narrow, branched only at lowest node
Spikelet 1215.5 mm; lower glume 2.54 mm, upper 3.55 mm; florets 410; lemma 68 mm, awn generally 0; anthers 24.5 mm; ovary tip glabrous
Ecology: Disturbed places
Elevation: generally < 2000 m.
Bioregional distribution: California Floristic Province, Great Basin Floristic Province, less common in Southwestern California
Distribution outside California: to e N.America; native to Europe
Flowering time: MayJul
Grown for forage
Synonyms: F. elatior L