Taeniatherum

Plants annual. Culms (5)10-55(70) cm, erect, glabrous; nodes 3-6. Leaves evenly distributed; sheaths open, usually glabrous; auricles 0.1-0.5 mm, rarely absent; ligules membranous, truncate; blades flat to involute. Inflorescences spikes, erect; nodes 4-24(28), each with 2(3, 4) spikelets; internodes 0.5-3.5 mm. Spikelets with 2(3) florets, the lowest floret in each spikelet bisexual, the distal floret(s) highly reduced, sterile; disarticulation above the glumes. Glumes 5-80 mm, equal, awnlike, erect to spreading or reflexed, bases connate. Bisexual florets: lemmas 5-veined, glabrous or scabrous, margins flat, scabrous, apices terminally awned, awns 20-110 mm, longer than the lemmas, divergent, often cernuous; paleas as long as the lemmas, keels antrorsely ciliate, apices truncate; lodicules 2, lobed, ciliate. Reduced florets: lemmas 3-veined, awned; paleas absent; anthers 3, yellow to purple. Caryopses narrowly elliptic, with an adaxial groove, apices pubescent, x = 7. Haplome Ta.

Distribution

Wash., N.Y., Conn., Utah, Calif., Oreg., Mont., Pa., Idaho, Nev.

Discussion

Taeniatherum includes only one species. It is native to Eurasia.

Selected References

Frederiksen, S. 1986. Revision of Taeniatherum (Poaceae). Nordic J. Bot. 6:389-397

Humphries, C.J. 1978. Variation in Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 76:340-344.

Lower Taxa

Taeniatherum caput-medusae