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) 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.
Annual, perennial herb, some ± dioecious
Stem 0.312 dm
Leaf: sheath open to closed (best observed on upper stem leaf); ligule thin, flexible; blade grooved above on both sides of midvein, flat, folded, or inrolled, generally smooth or scabrous on veins, generally prow-tipped
Inflorescence panicle-like; branches appressed to drooping
Spikelet generally compressed, breaking between florets; glumes 2, similar, generally < lowest lemma, awnless; florets generally 26; callus indistinct, often with obvious tuft of long cobwebby hairs; lemma generally keeled to base, of same texture as glumes, awnless, veins generally 5, ± converging near tip; palea well developed, keels generally scabrous; fertile anthers 0.24.5 mm; ovary glabrous
Species in genus: ± 500 species: temp and cool regions
Etymology: (Greek: ancient name)
Reference: [Soreng 1991 Syst Bot 16:507528]
CA is center of diversity in North America. Spikelet features best observed on lowest florets of spikelet.
Introduced |
Perennial from long, stout rhizomes, tufted or loose, generally 27 dm
Leaf: sheath open 1/23/4 length; ligule 14 mm, truncated to rounded, smooth to minutely scabrous at margin; blade generally 24 mm wide, soft to ± firm, flat or folded
Inflorescence generally 615 cm, ovate to triangular; branches generally spreading, smooth or scabrous
Spikelet: callus densely long-cobwebby; lemma 34 mm, keel and marginal veins hairy
Flower: anthers 1.22 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=21117
Ecology: Common. Many disturbed or stable habitats, including saline or alkaline soils
Elevation: 03500 m.
Bioregional distribution: California
Distribution outside California: n temperate; native to Europe
Flowering time: Spring to early summer
Widely planted as lawn or pasture grass. Ssp. agassizensis (Boivin & D. Löve) Taylor & McBride is widespread and possibly native in CA, has dense inflorescence < 6 cm with smooth branches, leaf firm and folded, sterile shoot blade upper surface often sparsely soft-hairy; subsp. angustifolia (L.) Arcang. is probably introduced in CA, has long, folded sterile shoots generally < 0.5 mm wide, sometimes hairy as in subsp. agassizensis , narrowly triangular open inflorescence with with smooth ascending branches.