| 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 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.
| Introduced |
Perennial 8–60 cm, decumbent to erect, often mat-like; stolons 5–100 cm
Leaves: ligule 2–5 mm; lower blades 2–10 cm, 2–5 mm wide, flat
Inflorescence 3–15 cm, elliptic to lanceolate in outline, ± dense; 1° branches ascending to ± erect, lower generally 2–6 cm
Spikelet: glumes 1.5–3 mm; callus hairs minute, sparse; lemma 1.5–2 mm, awn 0; palea slightly < lemma; anthers 1–1.5 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=28
Ecology: Ditches, lake margins, marshes
Elevation: < 1000 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range, n Sierra Nevada, Central Western California, Southwestern California (except Channel Islands), White and Inyo Mountains, Desert Mountains
Distribution outside California: to s Canada, s US; native to Europe
Flowering time: Jun–Sep
Synonyms: A. alba L. vars. major (Gaudin) Farw. and palustris (Huds.) Pers.; A. alba var. a. misapplied in part
Difficult to separate from A. gigantea.