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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.

AGROSTIS

BENT

M. J. Harvey

Annual or perennial herb, generally tufted, sometimes from rhizomes or stolons
Stems generally erect
Leaf: sheath generally smooth, glabrous; ligule membranous; blade flat to rolled
Inflorescence panicle-like, densely cylindric to openly ovate
Spikelet: glumes generally subequal, back generally glabrous, vein generally finely scabrous, 1-veined, generally acute; floret 1, < glumes, generally breaking above glumes; callus glabrous to densely hairy; lemma generally 5-veined, veins not converging, sometimes extended as short teeth, awned from back or not; palea 0 to ± = lemma, translucent; anthers generally 3
Species in genus: ± 200 species: especially temp Am, Eurasia
Etymology: (Greek: pasture)
Reference: [Carlbom 1967 PhD OR State Univ]
Some cultivated in pastures, lawns.

Native

A. elliottiana Schult.

Annual 5–45 cm
Leaves: ligule 2–3 mm; lower blades 0.5–4 cm, < 1 mm wide, flat to inrolled
Inflorescence 5–20 cm, generally widely ovate in outline, open; lower 1° branches 1–4.5 cm, spreading, upper ascending, axes thread-like with spikelets clustered near tip
Spikelet: glumes 1.5–2 mm; callus hairs < 0.6 mm, dense; lemma 1–2 mm, generally awned from near tip, awn 3–10 mm, wavy; palea 0; anther 1, persistent in fruit
Chromosomes: 2n=14
Ecology: Vernal pool margins
Elevation: < 500 m.
Bioregional distribution: Inner North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range Foothills, n Sierra Nevada Foothills, n Sacramento Valley
Distribution outside California: to s US
Synonyms: A. exigua Thurber

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