Leersia monandra

Sw.
Common names: Bunch cutgrass Canyongrass Cedar whitegrass
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 42.

Plants perennial; cespitose, without rhizomes. Culms 40-120 cm tall, 0.8-1.2 mm thick, erect, unbranched; nodes nearly glabrous to densely retrorsely hispidulose, adjacent portions of the internodes glabrous or mod¬erately retrorsely hispidulose. Sheaths glabrous or moderately retrorsely hispid-scabrous; ligules 1.5-4 mm; blades 20-30 cm long, 3.5-6 mm wide, ascending, usually involute on drying, veins and margins smooth or scabridulous. Panicles 5-15 cm, with 1 branch per node; branches spreading to somewhat ascending, spikelets closely appressed, confined to the distal 1/3 of the branches. Spikelets 1.5-2 mm long, 1-1.3 mm wide, laterally compressed, broadly elliptic or ovate. Lemmas and paleas glabrous, acute or obtuse; anthers 2. Caryopses 1-1.3 mm, ovate, yellow. 2n = 48.

Discussion

Leersia monandra grows in rather dry, rocky, limestone soils in open woods, grasslands, and bluffs, from Texas and Florida south to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and the Antilles. It is also sold as an ornamental. There have been few collections from the Flora region in the last two decades. In areas with heavy grazing, L. monandra tends to disappear, surviving only in areas where shrubs provide some measure of protection. It flowers throughout the year.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Leersia monandra"
Grant L. Pyrah +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
divergent +  and parallel +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
not evident +
linear +  and broadly lanceolate flat or folded +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
ascending;spreading to somewhat +
spikelike +
not stipelike +
Bunch cutgrass +, Canyongrass +  and Cedar whitegrass +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (150 cm1,500 mm <br />1.5 m <br />) +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
Puerto Rico +, Fla. +  and Tex. +
capillary +
sometimes longer +
sterile +, fertile +, sexual +, unisexual +  and bisexual +
linear +  and suborbicular +
cylindrical +, oblong +  and ovoid +
subtending +
reduced +
uncinate +
solid +  and hollow +
aerenchymatous +
distributed +
obtuse +  and acute +
subequal +
chartaceous +  and coriaceous +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
membranous +
annular +
inconspicuous +
fleshy +  and membranous +
scabridulous +  and smooth +
complex +  and simple +
concealed +  and prominent +
nearly glabrous +  and densely retrorsely hispidulose +
2 +  and 1 +
well-developed +
obtuse +  and acute +
subequal +
chartaceous +  and coriaceous +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
hispidulose +, mod +  and glabrous +
not prolonged +
hispid-scabrous +  and glabrous +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
[9/10] +, /2 +  and 1 +
ovate +, elliptic +  and compressed +
1mm +  and 1.3mm +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
triangular +  and dome--shaped +
Gramineae +
Leersia monandra +
species +
membranous +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +