Leersia hexandra
Leersia monandra
clubhead cutgrass, southern cutgrass, swamp rice grass
bunch cutgrass, canyongrass, cedar whitegrass
25-150 cm tall, 1-1.5 mm thick, decumbent, rooting at the nodes, terminal portions erect, often floating, branched or unbranched;
nodes pubescent, adjacent portions of the internodes glabrous or coarsely scabrous.
40-120 cm tall, 0.8-1.2 mm thick, erect, unbranched;
nodes nearly glabrous to densely retrorsely hispidulose, adjacent portions of the internodes glabrous or moderately retrorsely hispidulose.
glabrous or coarsely scabrous, margins often ciliate;
ligules 1-3 mm;
blades 5-25 cm long, 3-15 mm wide, ascending, glabrous or pubescent.
glabrous or moderately retrorsely hispid-scabrous;
ligules 1.5-4 mm;
blades 20-30 cm long, 3.5-6 mm wide, ascending, usually involute on drying, veins and margins smooth or scabridulous.
5-15 cm, exserted at maturity, with 1(2) branches per node;
branches 3-10 cm, appressed to ascending, spikelet-bearing to near the base, spikelets appressed to slightly divergent, slightly imbricate.
5-15 cm, with 1 branch per node;
branches spreading to somewhat ascending, spikelets closely appressed, confined to the distal 1/3 of the branches.
3.2-4.7(5) mm long, 0.5-2 mm wide, ovate to elliptic.
1.5-2 mm long, 1-1.3 mm wide, laterally compressed, broadly elliptic or ovate.
about 2 mm, usually not developed.
1-1.3 mm, ovate, yellow.
ciliate on the keels and margins, short hispid or glabrous elsewhere, apices acute to acuminate;
paleas ciliate on the keels;
anthers 6, 2-3.2 mm.
and paleas glabrous, acute or obtuse;
anthers 2.
= 48.
= 48.
Leersia hexandra
Leersia monandra
Leersia hexandra is found in wet areas, usually in fresh water along streams and ponds, where it sometimes forms floating mats. It grows in the southeastern United States and throughout much of the neotropics; the California record probably represents a recent introduction.
Leersia hexandra is sometimes a weed in rice. It usually flowers in late fall, but may flower throughout the year. Very little seed is set.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Leersia monandra grows in rather dry, rocky, limestone soils in open woods, grasslands, and bluffs, from Texas and Florida south to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and the Antilles. It is also sold as an ornamental. There have been few collections from the Flora region in the last two decades. In areas with heavy grazing, L. monandra tends to disappear, surviving only in areas where shrubs provide some measure of protection. It flowers throughout the year.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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