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, cespitose or from stolons
Stem decumbent to erect, 18 dm; nodes visible, brown
Leaves: ligule 16 mm, membranous, truncate to acute, generally scabrous; blade flat, glabrous or scabrous
Inflorescence panicle-like, generally cylindric, dense; branches short
Spikelet ± compressed, breaking below glumes, falling as 1 unit; glumes ± equal, generally = spikelet, membranous, generally keeled, keel and lateral veins generally stiff- or appressed-hairy, margins free or fused near base, tip obtuse, acute, or short-awned, 3-veined; floret 1; lemma membranous, margins keeled, sometimes fused near base, truncate to acute, 35-veined, awned on back below middle, awn straight or abruptly bent generally at lemma tip; palea generally 0; anthers 0.54 mm
Fruit glabrous
Species in genus: ± 35 species: temp North America, Eurasia
Etymology: (Greek: fox tail)
Reference: [Rubtzoff 1961 Leafl West Bot 9:165180]
Introduced |
Perennial
Stem 4.87.7 dm
Leaf: ligule 1.53 mm; blade 2.516 cm, 26 mm wide
Inflorescence 3.57.5 cm, 610 mm wide
Spikelet: glumes 45 mm; awn bent, exceeding lemma body by 25.5 mm; anthers 23.5 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=28,42
Ecology: Open, damp meadows
Elevation: 1001700 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Western California
Distribution outside California: to Alaska, e N.America.; native to Eurasia
Cult for forage.