Distichlis

Raf.
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 24.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA25 P04B Distichlis pg 26.jpegDistichlis spicataHana Pazdírková
Linda A. Vorobik

Plants perennial; usually unisexual, occasionally bisexual; strongly rhizomatous and/or stoloniferous. Culms to 60 cm, usually erect, glabrous. Leaves conspicuously distichous; lower leaves reduced to scalelike sheaths; upper leaf-sheaths strongly overlapping; ligules shorter than 1 mm, membranous, serrate; upper blades stiff, glabrous, ascending to spreading, usually equaling or exceeding the pistillate panicles. Inflorescences terminal, contracted panicles or racemes, sometimes exceeding the upper leaves. Spikelets laterally compressed, with 2-20 florets; disarticulation of the pistillate spikelets above the glumes and below the florets, staminate spikelets not disarticulating. Glumes 3-7-veined; lemmas coriaceous, staminate lemmas thinner than the pistillate lemmas, 9-11-veined, unawned; paleas 2-keeled, keels narrowly to broadly winged, serrate to toothed, sometimes with excurrent veins; anthers 3. Caryopses glabrous, free from the palea at maturity, brown, x = 10.

Distribution

Conn., N.J., N.Y., Wash., Del., Wis., Ariz., N.Mex., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Fla., Wyo., N.H., Tex., La., Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., N.S., N.W.T., Ont., P.E.I., Sask., N.C., S.C., Pa., Ala., Miss., Nev., Va., Colo., Calif., Kans., N.Dak., Nebr., Okla., S.Dak., Ill., Ga., Iowa, Idaho, Maine, Md., Mass., Ohio, Utah, Mo., Minn., R.I., Mont., Oreg.

Discussion

Distichlis, a genus of about five species, grows in saline soils of the coasts and interior deserts of the Western Hemisphere and Australia. All the species grow in South America, but only one, Distichlis spicata, is found in North America.

Lower Taxa

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Distichlis"
Mary E. Barkworth +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
multiple +, , +  and single +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
not fused +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
membranous +
not pseudopetiolate +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
usually linear +  and lanceolate occasionally ovate +
spikelike +
triangular +  and dome--shaped +
sometimes longer +
membranous +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
not woody +
Conn. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, Wash. +, Del. +, Wis. +, Ariz. +, N.Mex. +, Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +, Fla. +, Wyo. +, N.H. +, Tex. +, La. +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, N.S. +, N.W.T. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Sask. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Pa. +, Ala. +, Miss. +, Nev. +, Va. +, Colo. +, Calif. +, Kans. +, N.Dak. +, Nebr. +, Okla. +, S.Dak. +, Ill. +, Ga. +, Iowa +, Idaho +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Ohio +, Utah +, Mo. +, Minn. +, R.I. +, Mont. +  and Oreg. +
not waisted +
capillary +
not disarticulating +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
2 +  and 20 +
bisexual +  and fertile +
round +  and compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
uncinate +
paniculate +  and racemose +
hollow +  and solid +
serrate +  and toothed +
not absent +
pistillate +, 9-11-veined +  and staminate +
coriaceous +
thinner +
sometimes longer +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
2-keeled +
dry +  and fleshy +
spikelike +
beetle1943b +
scale-like +
not disarticulating +, staminate +  and pistillate +
1 +  and 60 +
compressed +
1 +  and 3 +
compound +  and simple +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Gramineae +
Distichlis +
Poaceae tribe Cynodonteae +
membranous +
ascending +  and spreading +
exceeding the pistillate panicles +  and equaling +
7 (?) +  and 13 (?) +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
bisexual +  and unisexual +