| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
previous taxon |
next taxon
Jepson Interchange (more information) |
|
|
©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.
Perennial, generally from rhizomes
Stems 1–15 dm, generally not branched, ± smooth; nodes generally 2–4
Leaves generally basal and cauline; sheath smooth or scabrous; ligule membranous; blade flat to inrolled
Inflorescence panicle-like, open to dense; branches ± drooping to appressed; spikelets ascending to appressed
Spikelet: glumes subequal, generally lanceolate, acute to acuminate, lower generally 1-veined, upper 3-veined; floret 1, breaking above glumes; axis prolonged beyond floret, hairy; callus hairy; lemma < glumes, awned from below middle to near base, tip generally 4-toothed, veins 3–5, awn straight to twisted, bent; palea ± = lemma, thin
Species in genus: ± 100 species: cool temp (especially moist montane); some forage value
Etymology: (Greek: reed grass)
Reference: [Greene 1980 Ph.D. Thesis Harvard University]
Hybridization, polyploidy, and asexual seed set contribute to taxonomic difficulty .
| Native |
Loosely cespitose
Stem 2–24 dm
Leaf: sheath smooth; ligule 1–5.5 mm; blade 2–5 mm wide, generally inrolled, lower surface generally smooth, upper surface smooth to scabrous
Inflorescence 5–20 cm, dense, narrow; branches < 1.5–5+ cm, ascending to appressed
Spikelet: glumes 2–6 mm, smooth to scabrous; axis ± 1 mm, hairs = callus hairs; callus hairs 1/2 to = lemma length; lemma 2–5 mm, fine-scabrous, awned at or below middle; awn ± = glume tip, generally straight
Ecology: Mtn slopes, meadows, coastal marshes
Elevation: < 3400 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range, High Sierra Nevada, Central Coast, White and Inyo Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Alaska, ne N.America, Eurasia
Sspp. intergrade.