| 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.
Perennial
Stem erect, generally tufted
Leaf: sheath sometimes appendaged; ligule membranous; blade flat or rolled
Inflorescence spike-like, dense; axis not breaking apart in fruit; spikelets 2-ranked, strongly overlapping, 1 per node, generally spreading
Spikelet: glumes generally ± equal, = or < lower floret, lanceolate, keeled, acute to short-awned; axis breaking above glumes and between florets; lemma firm, acute to awn-tipped; anthers 2–5 mm
Species in genus: 12 species: Medit, e Eur, c Asia
Etymology: (Greek: ancient name for wild wheat)
Reference: [Barkworth & Dewey 1985 Amer J Bot 72:767–776]
See also Elymus, Elytrigia, Pascopyrum, Pseudoroegneria for species sometimes treated here.
| Introduced |
Stem 2.5–10 dm
Leaf: sheath, blade generally glabrous, sometimes soft-hairy or scabrous
Inflorescence 3–10 cm; internodes 1–3 mm; spikelets spreading to ascending
Spikelet 7–11 mm; glumes < lower floret, translucent margin ± 0.4 mm wide, generally 3-veined; florets 3–8; lemma 5–9 mm, generally 5-veined, awn < 3.5 mm
Chromosomes: 2n=28
Ecology: Disturbed areas, roadsides
Elevation: 600–1500 m.
Bioregional distribution: Cascade Range Foothills, n High Sierra Nevada, Great Basin Floristic Province
Distribution outside California: to Great Plains; native to eastern Europe
Plants with inflorescence internodes < 1 mm, spikelets spreading are called A. cristatum (L.) Gaertn. Plants with spikelets appressed, lemma awn < 1 mm, are called A. fragile Roth
Synonyms: A. sibiricum Willd
All forms (and hybrids) are planted for erosion control.