TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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Jepson Interchange (more information) |
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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
Stems generally erect; internode solid to hollow inside
Leaves basal and cauline; sheath glabrous or hairy; ligule short-hairy or membranous, ciliate, hairs generally > membrane
Inflorescence panicle-like, generally open; 1° branches spreading to ascending; 2° branches spreading to appressed; spikelets many, 12 per node, generally stalked, on one side of axis or not, stalk tip expanded, one side concave
Spikelet falling as 1 unit, ± compressed, generally green to purplish; glumes generally unequal, lower generally < upper, free, clasping, upper glume ± = spikelet, membranous, ± thin; florets 2, lower sterile or staminate, lemma texture like glumes, upper floret fertile, lemma leathery to hard, firm, generally shiny, smooth to rough, margin inrolled, tip blunt, palea enclosed by lemma margin
Species in genus: ± 450 species: tropical to warm temp, worldwide
Etymology: (Latin: ancient name for millet)
Reference: [Spellenberg 1975 Brittonia 27:8795]
Some species cultivated for food.
Native |
Perennial
Stem 28 dm
Leaf: sheath 27 cm, generally short-hairy; ligule 25 mm, hairy; blade 315 cm long, 213 mm wide, upper surface glabrous or short-soft-hairy
Inflorescence 49 cm; 1° branches 24 cm, axis glabrous or short-hairy; spikelet 1 per node, stalk 0.53 mm
Spikelet 12.5 mm, slightly < 1 mm wide, elliptic to slightly obovate; lower glume ± 0.51 mm, 1-veined, tip acute; lower floret sterile, lemma 7-veined, tip rounded, palea vestigial; upper floret slightly < lower floret
Chromosomes: 2n=18
Ecology: Moist places, marshes, streambanks
Elevation: < 2600 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Great Central Valley, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, Outer South Coast Ranges, Southwestern California, White and Inyo Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Canada, e US, C.America, n S.America
Native |
Stem 39 dm
Leaf: sheath glabrous; ligule 25 mm; blade 315 cm, 311 mm wide, upper surface glabrous
Inflorescence 412 cm
Spikelet 12 mm, generally elliptic; lower glume generally < 0.5 mm
Ecology: Moist places
Elevation: < 100 m.
Bioregional distribution: Great Central Valley
Distribution outside California: to eastern US, Texas, n Mexico
Synonyms: P. lindheimeri Nash
Horticultural information: STBL.