| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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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.
Annual, ± hairy
Stems ascending to erect, unbranched, often fragile, easily breaking apart at nodes
Leaves basal and cauline; collar 0; sheath and blade continuous; blade flat or becoming inrolled when dry
Inflorescence spike-like, partly enclosed by upper sheath or exserted with age; spikelets spirally arranged on axis
Spikelet laterally compressed; glumes entire or irregularly short-toothed; florets 5–40, tardily breaking above glumes and between florets; lemmas entire or minutely toothed, generally with central sharp point, 11–17-veined; palea ± = lemma; anthers exserted, filaments slender, ribbon-like; stigmas 1/3–1/2 style length, sparsely short-hairy
Fruit obovoid or oblong
Species in genus: 3 species: CA, s Baja CA
Etymology: (Anagram of Orcuttia)
Reference: [Reeder 1982 Amer J Bot 69:1082–1095]
| Native |
Stem erect, becoming decumbent, 5–15(30) cm; nodes often purplish
Leaf 2–3 cm, < 5 mm wide, curved outward
Inflorescence < 8 cm, exserted with age; upper spikelets crowded, lower ± separated
Spikelet: glumes 3–5 mm, subequal, tip irregularly short-toothed, strongly veined; florets < 40; lemma generally 4–5(6) mm, 9–13-veined; palea slightly < lemma; anthers 3–3.5 mm, whitish
Fruit ± 2 mm, slightly flattened laterally, oblong, minutely wrinkled
Chromosomes: 2n=24
Ecology: Vernal pools
Elevation: < 200 m.
Bioregional distribution: Great Central Valley (Butte, Fresno, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tehama, Tulare cos.)
Synonyms: Orcuttia g. Vasey