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POACEAE

GRASS FAMILY

James P. Smith, Jr., except as specified

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.

PHALARIS

Dennis Anderson

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

P. paradoxa L.

Annual
Stem 2–10 dm
Inflorescence 3–9 cm, 1–2 cm wide, oblong; base tapered; tip ± truncate to acuminate; spikelets in clusters, cluster falling as 1 unit; fertile spikelet generally surrounded by 5–6 sterile, short-stalked spikelets; sterile spikelet vestigial or = fertile
Fertile spikelet: glumes 5.5–8 mm, ± 1 mm wide, generally glabrous, wing lobed to toothed, tip acute to acuminate; lower florets vestigial, knob-like; upper lemma 2.5–3.5 mm, 1–1.5 mm wide, narrowly ovoid, generally glabrous or sparsely hairy near tip
Fruit ± 2.5 mm, ± 1 mm wide
Chromosomes: 2n=14
Ecology: Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 250 m.
Bioregional distribution: Great Central Valley, Southwestern California, Sonoran Desert
Distribution outside California: native to Mediterranean Europe
Flowering time: May–Aug
Small plants generally have many, vestigial sterile spikelets.

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bioregional map for PHALARIS%20paradoxa being generated
 


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