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Species Fact Sheets

Sphenopholis filiformis
 
Sphenopholis intermedia
 
Sphenopholis longiflora
 
Sphenopholis nitida
 
Sphenopholis obtusata
 
Sphenopholis pensylvanica

Vegetative Morphology

 
Plants usually perennial, rarely winter annuals.
Culms (5)30-130 cm, leaves evenly distributed.
Sheaths open.
Auricles absent.
Ligules membranous, erose.
Blades flat or involute.

Reproductive Morphology

 
Inflorescences panicles, open or contracted, nodding to erect.
Disarticulation below the glumes, distal floret sometimes disarticulating first.
Spikelets 2.1-9.5 mm, laterally compressed, with 2-3 florets.
Rachillas glabrous or pubescent, prolonged beyond the distal floret bases as a slender bristle.
Glumes almost equaling the lowest floret.
Lower glumes narrower than the upper glumes, 1(3)-veined, strongly keeled, apices acute.
Upper glumes 3(5)-veined, strongly to slightly keeled.
Calluses glabrous.
Lemmas not indurate, rounded on the lower back, keeled near the apices, 3(5)-veined, veins usually not visible.
Awns absent or awned from just below the tips, straight or geniculate.
Lodicules 2, free, membranous, glabrous, toothed or entire.
Anthers 3.
Endosperm liquid.

Chromosome Number(s)

x = 7

Nativity / Range

Sphenopholis consists of 6 species; all are native to the Flora region.

Name/Synonymy Publication Info

SPHENOPHOLIS Scribner, Rhodora 8:142 (1906). TYPE: Sphenopholis obtusata (Michx.) Scribner.

Reboulea Kunth, R?vis. gramin. 1:341, pl. 84 (1830), nom. rejic. TYPE: Reboulea gracilis Kunth, nom. illeg. [=Sphenopholis obtusata (Michx.) Scribner].

Trisetum sect. Colobanthus Trin., M?m. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-P?tersbourg, Ser. 6, Sci. Math. 1:66 (1830); Colobanthus Trin. in Spach, Hist. nat. v?g. 13:163 (1846), nom. illeg. TYPE: Trisetum pensylvanicum [as "pennsylvanicum"] (Sprengel) Trin. [=Sphenopholis nitida ("Sprengel" [error for Biehler]) Scribner, non Sphenopholis pensylvanica (L.) Hitchc.].

Eatonia sensu Endl., Gen. pl. 99 (1836), non Raf. (1819).

Treatment From

T.F. Daniel.  Sphenopholis in Flora of North America, volume 24.  In prep.  Oxford University Press.

Fact Sheet Developed By

Pedro Oñativia Lake © 2006