Plants of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument - NPS Inventory ...

Poaceae
Graminoids
Impact risk level
Schismus arabicus
46
H M L
Arabian schismus
General: Low tufted annual, 10–20 cm tall, glabrous, erect to spreading or
semiprostrate. Vegetative: Leaves mostly basal, blades soft, bright green,
narrow, sheath with membranous border above, often broad and truncate at
apex; ligule a ring of short and long hairs. Inflorescence: Compact panicle,
many flowered 1–6 cm long; spikelets 5–7 flowered; glumes 3.5–5.5 mm,
often tinged with purple, lemmas 1.5–2.4 mm, margin and back hairy, apex
shallowly to deeply notched, lobes acute; palea
shorter than lemma, usually not reaching notch;
caryopsis shiny golden brown. Ecology: Found
on dry open ground, often in disturbed soil below
4,000 ft (1219 m); flowers January–May. Notes: S.
arabicus and S. barbatus are thought to possibly
intergrade, the only difference is in the glume size,
and the lemmas being more hairy in S. arabicus.
Etymology: Schismus is from Greek schismos,
cleaving, referring to split lemma, arabicus refers to
being Arabian in origin. Synonyms: None
Schismus barbatus
Impact risk level
H M L
common Mediterranean grass
General: Low tufted annual, 10–20 cm tall, glabrous, erect to spreading or
semiprostrate. Vegetative: Leaves mostly basal, blades soft, bright green,
narrow, sheath with membranous border above, often broad and truncate at
apex; ligule a ring of short and long hairs. Inflorescence: Compact panicle,
many flowered 1–6 cm long; spikelets 5–7 flowered; glumes 2.5–4.5 mm long,
acute or acuminate, five–nerved; lemma glabrous on back or with hairs on
margin or occasionally near base, apical notch shallow or minute, palea about
as long as lemma. Ecology: Found on dry open ground, often in disturbed
soil below 4,000 ft (1219 m); flowers January–May. Notes: S. arabicus and
S. barbatus are thought to possibly
intergrade, the only difference is in
the glume size, and the lemmas being
more hairy in S. arabicus. Etymology:
Schismus is from Greek schismos,
cleaving, referring to split lemma,
barbatus means barbed. Synonyms:
Festuca barbata, Schismus calycinus
©2001 Joe DiTomaso
©2008 Jason E. Willand