Pleuropogon californicus

(Nees) Benth. ex Vasey
Common names: California semaphoregrass
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24.

Plants annual or perennial; cespitose, with many innovations, not rhizomatous, or with poorly developed rhizomes. Culms 15-95 cm, erect or geniculate at the base, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes; nodes 3-6. Sheaths glabrous; ligules 2-6 mm; blades 3-29 cm long, 3-8 mm wide, adaxial surfaces slightly scabridulous. Racemes 8-35 cm, with 6-13 spikelets; internodes 1-6 cm; pedicels 1-5.5 (9) mm, ascending to spreading. Spikelets 15-60 mm, ascending to spreading, with 7-20 (30) florets, lower florets bisexual, upper florets pistillate, terminal florets sterile. Glumes lanceolate to broadly ovate; lower glumes 1-4.5 mm; upper glumes 2-6.5 mm, 1-3-veined; rachilla internodes 1-2.8 mm long, 0.2-0.5 mm thick, with a glandular swelling at the base; lemmas 4.5-7.5 mm, 7 (9) -veined, veins distinct, often prominent, apices truncate or emarginate, unawned or awned, awns to 11 mm; paleal keels scabridulous, each with a 0.5-2.5 mm triangular, winglike appendage, often denticulate beyond the appendage; anthers 2.5-4 mm. Caryopses 2.5-3.1 mm.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Plants annual or facultative perennials; lemmas usually with awns 5-11 mm long, rarely unawned; paleal appendages 0.5-2.5 mm long; spikelets 15-30 mm long Pleuropogon californicus var. californicus
1 Plants perennial; lemmas unawned, sometimes mucronate, mucros to 1.5 mm long; paleal appendages 0.5-1 mm long; spikelets 25-60 mm long Pleuropogon californicus var. davyi

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Pleuropogon californicus"
membranous +  and scarious +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
awned +, emarginate +  and truncate +
usually rounded +  and acute +
scarious +
Paul P.H. But +
(Nees) Benth. ex Vasey +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
basal +  and apical +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
persistent +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (29 cm290 mm <br />0.29 m <br />) +
flat +  and folded +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
California semaphoregrass +
extravaginal +  and basal +
geniculate +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (95 cm950 mm <br />0.95 m <br />) +
not woody +
0 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
sometimes longer +
7 +  and 20 +
compressed +
reduced +
subtending +
lanceolate +  and broadly ovate +
unequal +  and subequal +
membranous +
uncinate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
scabridulous +
triangular +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.75 cm7.5 mm <br />0.0075 m <br />) +
herbaceous +  and membranous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
extended +
concealed +  and prominent +
3 +  and 6 +
2 +  and 1 +
well-developed +
subequal +
9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br /> (?) +
ascending +  and spreading +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br />) +
6 +  and 13 +
not viviparous +
compressed +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Gramineae +
Pleuropogon californicus +
Pleuropogon +
species +
membranous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br />) +
perennial +  and annual +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
10 +, 9 +  and 8 +