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.

PARAPHOLIS

Thomas Worley

Annual
Stem decumbent to erect, 5–45 cm, branched, glabrous; nodes generally purple
Leaf: sheath 1–6 cm; ligule ± 1.5 mm, membranous; blade flat to ± inrolled, ribbed, upper surface scabrous
Inflorescence spike-like, 3–18 cm, rigid, cylindric, straight to strongly curved, breaking at nodes; spikelets alternate, 2-ranked, appressed, embedded in axis, falling with axis segment
Spikelet: glumes 2, edge-to-edge or slightly overlapping, 4–7 mm, lanceolate, keel to 1 side near base or obscure, margin translucent, ± enclosing floret, 5-veined; florets 1–2, bisexual; lemma 3.5–5.5 mm, translucent, 3-veined; palea ± = lemma, translucent
Fruit ± 3.5 mm
Species in genus: 5 species: native to Eur
Etymology: (Greek: scales beside, from glume orientation)
See Hainardia.