Part 7 - UNC Herbarium

POACEAE 893
* Lolium perenne Linnaeus var. perenne, English Rye-grass, Perennial Rye-grass. Cp (GA, NC, SC, VA), Pd, Mt (GA, NC,
VA): fields, roadsides, pastures, disturbed areas; uncommon, introduced from Eurasia. April-July. [= C, Z; = L. perenne –
RAB, F, G, HC, S; = L. perenne ssp. perenne – K; < L. perenne – W]
* Lolium temulentum Linnaeus, Darnel. Pd (GA, NC, VA), Cp (NC, VA), {SC}: fields, roadsides, pastures, disturbed areas;
common, introduced from Eurasia. May-June. [= RAB, C, F, HC, S, Z; > L. temulentum var. leptochaetum A. Braun – G; > L.
temulentum var. macrochaeton A. Braun – G; > L. temulentum ssp. temulentum – K]
Luziola Antoine Laurent de Jussieu (Southern Water Grass)
A genus of about 12 species, from s. North America south to tropical South America. References: Tucker (1988)=Z; Judziewicz
et al. (2000)=Y.
Luziola fluitans (Michaux) Terrell & H. Robinson var. fluitans, Southern Water Grass. Cp (GA, NC, SC), Pd? (GA?):
aquatic in water of natural lakes, slow-moving blackwater rivers, and other stagnant waters; rare (NC Watch List). August-
October. Var. fluitans ranges from ne. NC to c. FL and west to e. TX; var. oconnerii (Guzman M.) G. Tucker occurs in the
highlands of w. Mexico (Tucker 1988). A very unusual grass, truly aquatic, with flexuous stems and unwettable, floating leaves.
In addition to floating leaves (helpful in the field but not in the herbarium!), other useful characters include two secondary blade
nerves on either side of the midnerve and virtually as prominent as the midnerve, and which extend onto the sheath where they
occur with another 5 or so strong nerves; often with cilia 0.5-1 mm long at the summit of the ventral face of the sheath (an
unusual place); and a hyaline ligule about 1 mm long on the same plane as the sheath (i.e., free from the base of diverging
blades). [= Y, Z; < L. fluitans – K; < Hydrochloa carolinensis Palisot de Beauvois – RAB, GW, HC, S]
Luziola bahiensis (Steudel) Hitchcock. Streams and riverbanks. Apparently native, in AL, FL, MS. See Anderson & Hall
(1993). [= HC, K] {not keyed}
* Luziola peruviana Gmelin, Peruvian Water Grass. Disturbed wet areas. Apparently an introduction, occurring in disturbed
situations. See Anderson & Hall (1993). [= HC, K] {not keyed}
Melica Linnaeus (Melic)
A genus of about 80 species, north temperate, s. Africa and s. South America. References: Tucker (1996)=Z.
1 First glume oblong, 6.5-10 mm long, 2-4× as long as wide, acute to obtuse at the apex, about the same length and width as
the second glume; inflorescence with (0-) 1-5 branches from the lower nodes only; fertile lemmas 2; leaves 1-6 mm wide;
[common species, widespread in our area] .................................................................................................................M. mutica
1 First glume broadly ovate, 5-8 mm long, 1.5-2× as long as wide, obtuse to rounded at the apex, shorter and broader than the
second glume; inflorescence with 2-10 (or more) branches from most nodes; fertile lemmas (2-) 3; leaves 3-12 mm wide;
[rare species of the Mountains of NC and VA, northwards and westwards]................................................................M. nitens
Melica mutica Walter, Two-flower Melic. Cp, Pd, Mt (GA, NC, SC, VA): forests and woodlands, including coastal fringe
and maritime forests; common. April-May. MD west to IN and IL, south to FL and TX. [= RAB, C, F, G, HC, K, S, W, Z]
Melica nitens (Scribner) Nuttall ex Piper, Three-flower Melic. Mt (GA, NC, VA): rocky upland woodlands, barrens, and
glades, over calcareous rocks (such as limestone, calcareous shale); rare (NC Rare, VA Rare). May. PA west to s. MN and NE,
south to nw. GA and TX. [= RAB, C, F, G, HC, K, W, Z]
Melinis Palisot de Beauvois (Natalgrass)
A genus of ca. 22 species, native to Africa and w. Asia. References: Wipff in FNA (2003a).
* Melinis repens (Willdenow) Zizka ssp. repens, Rose Natalgrass. Cp, Pd, Mt (GA): disturbed areas, roadsides; rare,
introduced from Africa. The report for NC by Kartesz (1999) is an error. [= FNA; < M. repens – K; ? Rhynchelytrum roseum
(Nees) Stapf & C.E. Hubbard ex Bews – HC; < Rhynchelytum repens (Willdenow) C.E. Hubbard]
Microstegium Nees in Lindley 1836 (Sasa-grass, Japanese-grass)
A genus of about 15 species, of subtropical Asia and Africa. References: Barden (1987); Fairbrothers & Gray (1972); Winter,
Schmitt, & Edwards (1982); Koyama (1987); Thieret in FNA (2003a).
* Microstegium vimineum (Trinius) A. Camus, Flexible Sasa-grass, Japanese-grass. Pd, Mt, Cp (GA, NC, SC, VA):
disturbed areas, colonizing moist, rich soil, especially in floodplains; common, native of tropical se. Asia. The following
chronological synopsis of flora accounts of Microstegium is perhaps instructive: not treated by Small (1933), "local" (Fernald