| 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.
Annual, perennial herb
Stems decumbent to erect
Leaves basal and cauline; sheath glabrous or hairy; ligule generally < 1 mm, membrane hairy-fringed; blade generally flat
Inflorescence panicle-like, ± dense; 1° branches spreading to appressed; 2° branches appressed; spikelets many, 1–2 per node, short-stalked to subsessile, on one side of axis
Spikelet lanceolate, ± compressed, generally green, falling as 1 unit; glumes strongly unequal, lower glume generally 0, fused to spikelet base to form a disk- or cup-like ring between stalk and upper glume, upper glume ± = spikelet; florets 2, lower floret sterile, generally acuminate, palea 0, upper floret fertile, lemma firm or hard, generally wrinkled, margin inrolled, tip short-pointed to awned
Species in genus: ± 30 species: warm temp, tropical, worldwide
Etymology: (Latin: woolly grass)
Reference: [Shaw & Webster 1987 Sida 12:165–207]
| Native |
Annual
Stem 3–12 dm; nodes 2–5
Leaf: sheath 4–8 cm, glabrous or short-hairy; blade generally 5–12 cm, 5–12 mm wide, upper surface glabrous or short-hairy
Inflorescence: main axis 7–16 cm; 1° branches 1–5 cm; spikelets generally 2 per node, 1 per node near the axis tip, stalk = or < 1 mm
Spikelet 4–6 mm, ± 1–1.5 mm; lower floret lemma generally 5-veined; upper floret ± 0.8 X lower floret length, lemma acuminate
Ecology: Seasonal streams, irrigated fields, orchards
Elevation: < 200 m.
Bioregional distribution: Southwestern California, Sonoran Desert
Distribution outside California: to s US, Baja California
Flowering time: Aug–Sep
Synonyms: E. gracilis (E. Fourn.) Hitchc
Other var. native to s AZ, NM, TX, n Mex.