Part 7 - UNC Herbarium

POACEAE 913
1 Lemmas 3.0-4.5 mm long; spikelets 5-11-flowered.............................................................................................. [P. maritima]
1 Lemmas 1.5-2.5 mm long; spikelets 2-6-flowered.
2 Inflorescence diffuse, the lower branches with spikelets restricted to the distal portions; lower inflorescence branches
spreading horizontal to deflexed at maturity; lemma 1.5-2.1 mm long, the midnerve not reaching the apex ......P. distans
2 Inflorescence compact, the lower branches bearing spikelets nearly to the base; lower inflorescence branches ascending
at maturity; lemma 2.0-2.5 mm long, the midnerve reaching the apex, and often excurrent as a mucro....... P. fasciculata
* Puccinellia distans (Jacquin) Parlatore, European Alkali Grass, Goosegrass. Cp (VA): coastal sands; rare, introduced from
Europe. [= P. distans – C, G, HC; > P. distans var. distans – F; > P. distans ssp. distans – K]
Puccinellia fasciculata (Torrey) Bicknell, Eastern Alkali Grass, Saltmarsh Goosegrass. Cp (VA): salt or brackish marshes;
rare (VA Rare). Nova Scotia south to VA; Europe; and in sw. United States. [= C, F, G, HC, K]
* Puccinellia maritima (Hudson) Parlatore, Seaside Alkali Grass, Seaside Speargrass, salt marshes and ballast near ports, is
introduced south to se. PA (Philadelphia), NJ (Camden), and DE, especially on ballast. [= C, F, G, HC; > P. americana
Sorenson – K] {synonymy incomplete}
A genus of about 4 species, of the New World tropics.
Reimarochloa A.S. Hitchcock
Reimarochloa oligostachya (Munro ex Bentham) A.S. Hitchcock. AL, FL; Cuba. [= HC, K]
Rhynchelytrum Nees
(see Melinis)
References: Hodkinson et al. (2002).
Ripidium Trinius (Ravenna-grass)
* Ripidium ravennae (Linnaeus) Trinius, Ravenna-grass, Plume-grass. Cp (GA): cultivated as an ornamental and rarely
escaping or persisting; rare, introduced from s. Europe. In sw. GA, TN, and MD (Kartesz 1999) and DC (Steury 2004a). [=
Saccharum ravennae (Linnaeus) Linnaeus – FNA, K; = Erianthus ravennae (Linnaeus) Palisot de Beauvois – F; > Erianthus
ravennae var. ravennae – HC; > Erianthus ravennae var. purpurascens (Anderss.) Hackel – HC]
Rostraria Trinius
* Rostraria cristata (Linnaeus) Tzvelev. Cp (SC): waste areas near wool-combing mills; rare, introduced. It also occurs at
scattered other sites in eastern United States, such as on ballast in se. PA (Rhoads & Klein 1993), and reported for MD, AL, and
FL (Kartesz 1999). Not keyed. [= K; = Lophochloa cristata (Linnaeus) Hylander; ? Koeleria phleoides (Vill.) Persoon – HC]
Rottboellia Linnaeus f. (Itch-grass)
A genus of about 5 species, native to tropical Asia and Africa. References: Wipff in FNA (2003a); Wipff & Rector (1993)=Z.
* Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Loureiro) Clayton, Itch-grass. Cp (GA, NC): disturbed ground; rare, native of tropical Asia.
August-October. This grass, considered a noxious weed, was found in at least 13 GA counties by 1985 (Duncan 1985) and on a
farm in Robeson County, NC in 1984. [= FNA, K, Z; = Rottboellia exaltata Linnaeus f. – HC; = Manisuris exaltata (Linnaeus
f.) Kuntze – S]
Saccharum Linnaeus (Plume Grass)
(also see Ripidium)
A genus of uncertain circumscription at this time. Clayton & Renvoize (1986) have pointed out that the "traditional division [of
Saccharum] into awned (Erianthus) and awnless species seems wholly artificial;" Hodkinson et al. (2002) develop molecular
evidence which suggests that our species are not congeneric with Saccharum, however. Further study is needed, but likely our
native southeastern species will be merged into Miscanthidium Stapf, while the introduced S. ravennae will be placed in the
genus Ripidium Trinius (Hodkinson et al. 2002). Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linnaeus, S. sinense Roxburgh, S. barberi
Jeswiet, S. spontaneum Linnaeus, and cultivars and hybrids derived from those four species) is cultivated further south, notably in