Orcuttia viscida
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Plants pilose, very viscid, strongly aromatic. Culms 3-10(15) cm, simple, erect, often spreading in age. Leaves usually without a "collar" line; blades 2-4 mm wide. Spikes 3-5 cm, somewhat congested (less so than those of O. inaequalis); lower and upper internodes 3-7 mm. Spikelets with 6-20(30) florets. Glumes subequal, 5-6 mm, unequally 3-toothed, teeth as long as the bodies, awn-tipped; lemmas 6-7 mm, teeth as long as the lemma bodies, central tooth evidently the longest, awns at least 1 mm; paleas at least 3/4 as long as the lemmas; anthers about 2 mm. Caryopses 2.3-2.5 mm, broadly elliptical; embryos about as long as the caryopses. 2n = 28.
Discussion
Orcuttia viscida grows at elevations below 120 m in Sacramento County, California. Its awn-tipped lemma teeth curve outward at maturity, giving the spikes a distinctive, bristly appearance. It is listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Selected References
None.