Swallenia

Soderstr. & H.F. Decker
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 24.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA25 P04A Swallenia pg 26.jpegSwallenia alexandraeLinda Bea Miller
Linda A. Vorobik

Plants perennial; clumped, rhizomes woody. Culms 10-60 cm, branched above the base. Leaves mostly basal; auricles absent; ligules of hairs; blades flat, strongly veined, sharply pointed. Inflorescences terminal, usually exceeding the upper leaves, contracted panicles; branches ascend¬ing to erect; disarticulation beneath the caryopses. Spikelets laterally compressed, unawned, with 3-7 bisexual florets, distal florets reduced. Glumes subequal, longer than the adjacent lemmas but exceeded by the distal florets, acuminate; lower glumes 5-7-veined; upper glumes 7-11-veined; calluses hairy; lemmas membranous to papery, 5-7-veined, densely villous on the margins, sometimes also between the veins, unawned to mucronate; paleas equaling or exceed¬ing the lemmas; anthers 3. Caryopses falling free from the lemma and palea. x = 10.

Discussion

Swallenia is a monotypic genus, endemic to California. It is unusual in that only its caryopses break off the plant.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Swallenia"
Mary E. Barkworth +
Soderstr. & H.F. Decker +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
multiple +, , +  and single +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
not fused +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
pointed +
spikelike +
triangular +  and dome--shaped +
sometimes longer +
membranous +
ascending +  and erect +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
not woody +
not waisted +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
3 +  and 7 +
round +  and compressed +
reduced +
subtending +
acuminate +
subequal +
uncinate +
paniculate +  and racemose +
hollow +  and solid +
not absent +
mucronate +
membranous +  and papery +
sometimes longer +
inconspicuous +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
exceed ¬ ing the lemmas +  and equaling +
dry +  and fleshy +
spikelike +
gomez-sanchez2001a +, henry1979a +  and pavlik1988a +
1 +  and 60 +
compressed +
1 +  and 3 +
compound +  and simple +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Gramineae +
Swallenia +
Poaceae tribe Cynodonteae +
membranous +
7 (?) +  and 13 (?) +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +