Directory       News       Site Map       Home
    Jepson eFlora
Key to families | Table of families and genera




J. Travis Columbus

Perennial herb, cespitose, rhizomed. Stem: ascending to erect, solid; nodes generally hairy. Leaf: ligule membranous, ciliate-fringed; blade firm, flat to inrolled, sharply acute. Inflorescence: spike-like, generally cylindric; spikelets in clusters, 3 per node, ± equal; clusters wedge-shaped, overlapping, ascending to appressed, hairy-tufted at base, falling as 1 unit from zigzag axis; glumes of cluster together involucre-like. Central spikelet: subsessile, appressed to or nearest inflorescence axis; glumes equal, < floret(s), oblanceolate, keeled, ciliate, tip deeply 2-lobed, lobes lanceolate, awns 3–9, 1 from ± mid-keel, others terminal; florets generally 1–2, lower floret bisexual, upper floret (if present) bisexual or staminate; lemma lanceolate, 3-veined, generally ciliate, tip generally 2-lobed, generally 1-awned ± from sinus; palea ± = lemma. Lateral spikelet: sessile; glumes < to ± = florets, ciliate, lower glume asymmetric with 1 awn from ± middle near margin, generally 2-lobed, lobes unequal; florets 1–4, generally staminate; lemma 3-veined, tip generally ciliate; palea ± = lemma.
10 species: western United States to Guatemala. (Auguste de Saint-Hilaire, French biologist, 1779–1853)
Unabridged references: [Reeder & Reeder 1988 Madroño 35:6–9]

Key to Hilaria

1. Stem internodes glabrous to puberulent ..... H. jamesii

1' Stem internodes sparsely to densely tomentose ..... H. rigida

