Plants annual or perennial. Culms 10-100 cm, weak, trailing on the ground, branching. Leaves cauline; ligules membranous and ciliate, or of hairs; blades lanceolate. Inflorescences terminal, panicles of unilateral branches, spikelets paired (but the first spikelet sometimes reduced), rachises and branches terminating in a spikelet; branches 0.1-7 cm, persistent; disarticulation below the glumes. Spikelets dorsally compressed, not sunken into the rachis, lacking subtending bristles, with 2 florets. Lower glumes awned; upper glumes not ciliate on the margins, unawned or with awns shorter than those of the lower glumes, awns of both glumes often becoming viscid; lower florets sterile or staminate; lower lemmas acute to shortly awned; lower paleas present or absent; upper florets bisexual; upper lemmas papery to leathery, glabrous, smooth, unawned, white or yellow at maturity; upper paleas similar to the upper lemmas, x = 9.
Distribution
Md., Okla., Miss., Ala., N.C., La., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Va., S.C., Ark., Fla., Ga., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Mo., Tex.
Discussion
Oplismenus is a genus of five closely related species that grow in shady, mesic forests of tropical and subtropical regions. One species is native to the Flora region. The awns of most species become viscid at maturity, aiding in fruit dispersal (Davidse 1987).