Uniola

Plants perennial; rhizomatous or stoloniferous. Culms to 2.5 m, erect, glabrous, unbranched. Ligules of hairs; blades flat, becoming involute when dry, margins scabrous, tapering to an attenuate apex. Inflorescences terminal, simple panicles, exceeding the leaves; disarticulation below the glumes. Spikelets 8-50 mm long, 6-16 mm wide, ovate-elliptical to ovate-triangular, strongly laterally compressed, with 3-34 florets, lowest 2-8 florets sterile, remaining floret(s) bisexual. Glumes subequal, shorter than the adjacent lemmas, midveins keeled, serrate to serrulate, apices unawned; lemmas 3-9-veined, midveins keeled, serrate to serrulate, apices somewhat blunt to acute or mucronate, unawned; paleas, if present, from slightly shorter than to exceeding the lemmas, 2-keeled, keels winged, serrulate or ciliate; anthers 3; ovary glabrous; styles 1, with 2 style branches. Caryopses linear; embryos less than 1/2 as long as the caryopses. x = 10.

Distribution

Md., Miss., Tex., La., Del., Ala., N.C., S.C., Va., Ga., Fla.

Discussion

Uniola has two species, both of which grow on coastal sand dunes. There is one species native to the Flora region; the second, U. pittieri Hack., extends from northern Mexico to Ecuador, primarily along the Pacific coast. The genus used to be interpreted as including Chasmanthium, a genus that is now included in the Centothecoideae.

Selected References

Grass Phylogeny Working Group. 2001. Phylogeny and subfamilial classification of the grasses (Poaceae). Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 88:373-457

Yates, H.O. 1966a. Morphology and cytology of Uniola (Gramineae). SouthW. Naturalist 11:145-189

Yates, H.O. 1966b. Revision of grasses traditionally referred to Uniola, I. Uniola and Leptochloopsis. SouthW. Naturalist 11:372-394

Yates, H.O. 1966c. Revision of grasses traditionally referred to Uniola, II. Chasmanthium. SouthW. Naturalist 11:415-455.

Lower Taxa

Uniola paniculata