Coelorachis cylindrica
Coelorachis
Carolina jointgrass, cylinder jointtail grass
jointtail grass
60-120 cm, terete.
60-400 cm, erect.
terete;
ligules 0.2-0.8 mm.
not aromatic;
basal and cauline;
sheaths open, glabrous, margins scarious;
auricles lacking;
ligules membranous, ciliate;
blades flat to conduplicate, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, margins scarious, sometimes scabrous.
terminal and axillary, composed of a solitary, pedunculate rame;
rames stout;
disarticulation in the rames, below the sessile spikelets.
dorsally compressed, in heterogamous sessile-pedicellate pairs.
about 2.2 mm.
ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid, yellow.
short, thick, appressed or partly fused to the side of the rame axes.
6.5-12.5 cm, often purple.
spikelets 5-5.5 mm;
lower glumes with circular pits on the sides, the central region initially smooth, usually developing rectangular pits at maturity, occasionally remaining smooth;
upper lemmas and paleas 4-4.5 mm.
spikelets embedded in the rame axes, ovate, with 2 florets, unawned;
lower glumes indurate, smooth, rugose, or pitted, 7-11-veined, not keeled;
upper glumes coriaceous, keeled, 1-veined;
lower florets sterile;
upper florets bisexual, unawned;
anthers 3.
spikelets 1-2 mm.
spikelets 1-3 mm, usually reduced.
= 9.
= 18.
Coelorachis cylindrica
Coelorachis
Coelorachis cylindrica is native to the southeastern United States, where it grows in tallgrass prairies, the edges of forests, and roadsides. The specimen from Michigan was found in an old field, in association with many native species. Its source is unknown.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Coelorachis is a tropical genus of approximately 20 species; four are native to the southeastern United States. Most species tend to favor damp soils. Veldkamp et al. (1986) recommended combining Coelorachis and Hackelochloa with some other small genera in Mnesithea Kunth, but these two seem to be sufficiently distinct to be maintained until more data are available.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Culms and sheaths terete; lower glumes of the sessile spikelets with circular pits on the sides, the central region initially smooth, usually developing rectangular pits at maturity, occasionally remaining smooth | C. cylindrica |
1. Culms and sheaths compressed-keeled; lower glumes of the sessile spikelets transversely rugose, rectangular-pitted, or smooth. | → 2 |
2. Lower glumes of the sessile spikelets rectangular-pitted | C. tessellata |
2. Lower glumes of the sessile spikelets transversely rugose or smooth. | → 3 |
3. Lower glumes of the sessile spikelets distinctly transversely rugose; rachises distinctly indented below the sessile spikelets | C. rugosa |
3. Lower glumes of the sessile spikelets smooth to slightly transversely rugose; rachises not, or only slightly, indented below the sessile spikelets | C. tuberculosa |
KS Wildflowers
LA Plants
MO Plants
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
MD Biodiversity
