Fuirena longa

Chapman

Fl. South U.S. ed. 3, 541. 1897.

IllustratedEndemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 23. Treatment on page 34. Mentioned on page 33.

Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, 20–60 cm, nearly glabrous; rhizomes much branched. Culms tufted or regularly spaced along rhizome, slender, wandlike, frequently hispidulous distally. Leaves: principal blades at mid and distal culm, short-linear, 1.5–5 cm, puberulent distally. Inflorescences terminal, of 1–2 clusters; spikelets 1 or 2–5 per cluster, subtending involucral bract longer than spikelets. Spikelets cylindric-lanceoloid or lance-ovoid, 10 mm, apex acute; fertile scales mostly obovate, 2.5–3.5 mm; mucro erect, 1/2 or more length of scale; median ribs 5–7, 3 convergent to mucro. Flowers: perianth bristles reaching base of perianth blades, retrorsely scabrid; perianth blades oblong-obovate, as long as claws, base flattened, 3-ribbed, apex thickened, narrowly acuminate, sharp; anthers mostly 3, 1.3–1.5 mm. Achenes: body angles pale, wirelike, faces lustrous red-brown or chestnut brown, 1 mm; beak narrow, linear, hispidulous at tip. 2n = 46.


Phenology: Fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat: Brackish and freshwater marsh edges, flatwoods seeps, ditches, moist savanna
Elevation: 0–100 m

Distribution

V23 46-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., Tex.

Discussion

Fuirena longa is ostensibly a stable hybrid between F. breviseta and F. scirpoidea.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.