17.02   UNIOLA L. H. Oliver Yates  Plants perennial; rhizomatous
or stoloniferous. Culms to 2.5 m, erect, glabrous, unbranched.
Ligules of hairs; blades flat, becoming involute when dry,
margins scabrous, tapering to an attenuate apex. Inflorescences
terminal, simple panicles, exceeding the leaves; disarticulation
below the glumes. Spikelets 8-50 mm long, 6-16 mm wide, ovate-
elliptical to ovate-triangular, strongly laterally compressed,
with 3-34 florets, lowest 2-8 florets sterile, remaining
floret(s) bisexual. Glumes subequal, shorter than the adjacent
lemmas, midveins keeled, serrate to serrulate, apices unawned;
lemmas 3-9-veined, midveins keeled, serrate to serrulate, apices
somewhat blunt to acute or mucronate, unawned; paleas, if
present, from slightly shorter than to exceeding the lemmas,
2-keeled, keels winged, serrulate or ciliate; anthers 3; ovary
glabrous; styles 1, with 2 style branches. Caryopses linear;
embryos less than 1/2 as long as the caryopses. x = 10. Name
from the Latin unione glumarum,