Zizania texana

HABIT Annual. Stolons absent, or present. Culms decumbent; 100–170 cm long; spongy; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5–15 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious; with male and female spikelets in the same inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 20–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 5–10 cm long.

Sexes segregated; on unisexual branches; with male below. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels bearing a few hairs; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma linear; 10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins interlocking with palea margins. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 10–20 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 3 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 6.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear.

MALE Male spikelets distinct from female; linear; 7–9 mm long. Male spikelet glumes absent. Male spikelet lemma 5 -veined; muticous.

DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA.

NOTES Oryzeae. Gr Texas 1993.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.