| 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) 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.
Annual, perennial herb
Stem generally erect
Leaf: sheath appendaged; ligule membranous; blade generally flat
Inflorescence spike-like, dense, ± flat; axis sometimes breaking at nodes in fruit; spikelets 2-ranked, 1 per node, sessile, not sunken
Spikelet: glumes narrow, rigid, keeled, vein generally 1; florets 2, fertile, sessile and side-to-side, sometimes with vestigial floret between; lemma with keel near margin, keel and margins ciliate, veins 5, tip tapered, awn straight, scabrous
Species in genus: 5 species: Eurasia
Etymology: (Latin: ancient name for rye)