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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)
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.

PLEUROPOGON

SEMAPHORE GRASS

Mary E. Barkworth

Annual, perennial herb
Stem generally erect
Leaves generally cauline
Leaf: sheath margins fused > 1/2 length; ligule membranous; blade flat or folded, drooping
Inflorescence raceme-like
Spikelet 1.5–8 cm; glumes << lowest floret, translucent, lower 1-veined, upper 1–3-veined; florets 5–20; lemma 7–9-veined, veins prominent, not converging, extending to tip, awn 1–5 mm; palea ± = lemma, veins with appendages
Species in genus: 5 species: temp w North America., 1 sp. in e Asia
Etymology: (Greek: side beard, from awn at palea base in some species)

Native

P. californicus (Nees) Vasey

Annual, perennial herb
Stem decumbent to erect, clumped, 1.5–9.5 dm, often rooting at lower nodes
Leaf: ligule 2–6 mm; blade 3–6 mm wide
Inflorescence 8–30 cm
Spikelet 15–50 mm, spreading to erect; lower glume 1–4.5 mm, upper 2–6.5 mm; lemma 4.5–7.5 mm, awn < 11 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=18
Ecology: Wet places, redwood, oak forests
Elevation: < 650 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range Foothills, n&c Sierra Nevada Foothills, San Francisco Bay Area.Perennial, short-awned plants from NCoRO have been called P. davyi L.D. Benson.

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