TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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Jepson Interchange (more information) |
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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) 1many; 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: 650900 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 in CA, generally from rhizomes or stolons
Stems decumbent to erect; internode solid to hollow inside
Leaves basal and cauline; sheath glabrous or hairy; ligule generally membranous
Inflorescence panicle-like; axis generally glabrous; 1° branches raceme- to spike-like, spreading to appressed; spikelets many, 12 per node, generally short-stalked, on one side of axis
Spikelet falling as 1 unit, compressed, generally green; glumes 12, lower glume minute or 0, upper ± = spikelet; florets 2, lower floret generally sterile, palea vestigial or 0, upper floret fertile, lemma firm, thick, sometimes hard, back facing inflorescence axis, smooth or striate, margin inrolled, tip blunt
Species in genus: ± 300 species: tropical, warm temp worldwide
Etymology: (Greek: ancient name)
Reference: [Gould 1975 The Grasses of Texas pp. 500527, Texas A&M Press]
Introduced |
Perennial from short rhizomes
Stem erect, 210 dm; nodes 25
Leaf: sheath 420 cm, glabrous; ligule < 1.5 mm; blade 625 cm, 410 mm wide, upper surface glabrous
Inflorescence: main axis < 2 cm; 1° branches 23, 2.513 cm; spikelets many, 1 per node, stalk < 1 mm
Spikelet ± 34 mm, 12.5 mm wide, ovate to elliptic; lower glume 0; lower floret lemma 5-veined, tip rounded; upper floret slightly < lower floret
Ecology: Uncommon. Moist places, fields
Elevation: < 200 m.
Bioregional distribution: San Joaquin Valley, expected elsewhere
Distribution outside California: to Texas; native to Mexico, C.AM, S.America