| 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.
Perennial, dioecious
Stems densely clumped, erect
Leaves generally basal; sheath glabrous to hairy; ligule short, hairy; blades flat or folded
Inflorescence panicle-like, plume-like
Spikelets ± laterally compressed; glumes unequal, 1-veined; florets 2–8, breaking above glumes and between florets; lemmas silky-hairy, 3–5-veined, tip awned
Species in genus: 24 species: South America, New Zealand, New Guinea
Etymology: (Argentine term for cutting)
Reference: [Costas Lippmann 1977 Fremontia 4:25–27]
| Introduced |
Stem 2–4 m
Leaf: sheath glabrous to sparsely hairy; blade 3–8 cm wide, ascending, bluish to pale green, distal half curled, upper surface glabrous at base
Inflorescence 3–13 dm
Spikelets 15–17 mm; florets 4–8; pistillate lemma hairy, staminate lemma glabrous, tip acuminate, awn 2.5–5 mm; stigmas exserted
Chromosomes: 2n=72
Ecology: Disturbed sites
Elevation: < 300 m.
Bioregional distribution: North Coast, Sierra Nevada Foothills (American River), Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, South Coast (Orange Co.), cultivated elsewhere
Distribution outside California: s US; native to e S.America