| 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) 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, cespitose or from rhizomes
Stem generally erect, 2–20 dm
Leaf: sheath open; ligule membranous, truncate; blade generally 2–5 dm, 1–2 cm wide, flat
Inflorescence panicle-like, generally cylindric to ovoid, dense; branches ascending to appressed, obscure
Spikelet generally fertile, sometimes also sterile in P. paradoxa, compressed; glumes equal, > florets, sometimes with wing-like keel, 3–5-veined; axis generally breaking above glumes, generally falling as 1 unit; florets 2–3, lower 1–2 vestigial or 0, upper 1 fertile; upper floret lemma generally ovoid, glabrous or appressed-hairy, shiny, faintly 5-veined, awn 0; palea < lemma, translucent
Fruit ± fusiform
Species in genus: ± 15 species: temp North America, Eurasia
Etymology: (Greek: ancient name for grass with shiny spikelets)
| Introduced |
Annual
Stem 3–9 dm
Inflorescence 1.5–4 cm, 0.8–1.8 cm wide, ovoid
Spikelet: glume 6.5–8.5 mm, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, back glabrous or hairy, keel wing-like, tip acute; lower florets 2, 0.5–1 mm, ± fleshy, becoming corky; upper lemma 4.5–5.5 mm, 1.5–2 mm wide, ovoid, densely hairy
Fruit 3.5–4 mm, ± 1.5 mm wide
Chromosomes: 2n=12
Ecology: Wet, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 200 m.
Bioregional distribution: Sacramento Valley (Butte Co.), San Francisco Bay Area, Outer South Coast Ranges (San Luis Obispo Co.)
Distribution outside California: native to Mediterranean Europe