Hilaria rigida

(Thurb.) Benth. ex Scribn.
Common names: Big galleta
Synonyms: Pleuraphis rigida
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 276.

Plants perennial; cespitose, sometimes rhizomatous. Culms 35-250 cm, decumbent, much branched above the base, becoming almost woody; upper nodes glabrous or villous, hairs to 1.5 mm; lower internodes tomentose. Ligules 1-2 mm, densely ciliate; blades 2-10 (16) cm long, 2-5 mm wide, flat basally, involute distally. Panicles 4-12 cm; fascicles 6-12 mm. Lateral spikelets with 2-4 florets, lower 2 florets staminate, other florets (if present) usually ster¬ile; glumes thin, membranous, not fused at the base, lanceolate or parallel-sided, 7-veined, awned, awns exceeding the glume apices, apices 2-4-lobed, lobes acute to rounded, long-ciliate, sometimes with 1-3 excurrent veins that form additional slender awns to 1.8 mm; lower glumes with dorsal, divergent awns; upper glumes with subapical awns; anthers 3, 4-4.5 mm. Central spikelets equaling or exceeding the lateral spikelets, with 1 stipitate, bisexual floret; glumes thin, membranous, narrow, deeply cleft into few-several acuminate, ciliate lobes and slender awns; lemmas often exceeding the glumes, thin, ciliate, 2-lobed, midveins excurrent. 2n = 18, 36, 54.

Discussion

Hilaria rigida grows in deserts and open juniper stands, at low elevations, from the southwestern United States to central Mexico. Although almost shrubby, it is very popular with pack horses.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Hilaria rigida"
54 +, 36 +  and 18 +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
2-4-lobed +
Mary E. Barkworth +
(Thurb.) Benth. ex Scribn. +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
straight +
not fused +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
membranous +
not pseudopetiolate +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
usually linear +  and lanceolate occasionally ovate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
disarticulating +
spikelike +
reduced +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
triangular +  and dome--shaped +
exceeding the lateral spikelets +  and equaling +
sometimes longer +
membranous +
Big galleta +
decumbent +  and erect +
35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br /> (250 cm2,500 mm <br />2.5 m <br />) +
Ariz. +, N.Mex. +  and Tex. +
not waisted +
capillary +
stipitate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
1 +, 2 +  and 4 +
round +  and compressed +
reduced +
7-veined +  and parallel-sided +
cleft +  and awned +
not fused +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
lanceolate +
membranous +
uncinate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
paniculate +  and racemose +
hollow +  and solid +
not absent +
5-veined +, 7-13-veined +  and 1-3-veined +
unawned +  and awned +
2-lobed +
membranous +
sometimes longer +
ciliate +  and lacerate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
membranous +
ciliate +  and long-ciliate +
Few (?) +  and Several (?) +
acuminate +, acute +  and rounded +
inconspicuous +
pilose +  and glabrous +
pilose +  and villous +
concealed +  and prominent +
pilose +  and villous +
2 +  and 1 +
spikelike +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
spikelike +
pilose +  and glabrous +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
rhizomatous +  and stoloniferous +
compressed +
1 +  and 3 +
compound +  and simple +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Pleuraphis rigida +
Hilaria rigida +
species +
membranous +
villous +  and glabrous +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +