The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

streaked arrow grass, three-rib arrow-grass

awl-leaf arrow-grass, awl-leaf lilaea, flowering-quillwort

Habit Plants with fibrous strands of old leaves at base, 6–35 cm. Herbs, to 30 cm.
Leaves

erect from sheath, mostly longer than scapes, 4–35 cm;

sheath 1.1–7.5 cm × 0.7–1 mm, ligule not hoodlike, unlobed;

blade 0.2–5 mm wide, apex round-acute.

to 35 cm;

sheath 2–5 cm;

blade 15–30 cm × 0.9–3.1 mm.

Inflorescences

scape green to brown, mostly exceeded by leaves, 4.5–21.5 cm × 0.3–1.6 mm;

racemes 0.6–20.3 × 0.4–1.3 cm;

pedicels 0.4–2.1 × 0.1–0.3 mm.

axillary or sessile, the axillary scapose, 0.3–4 cm × 1.5–8 mm;

scape 8–10 cm × 0.5–1.5 mm.;

sessile inflorescences solitary flowers.

Flowers

tepals oval to elliptic, 0.6–1 × 0.8–0.9 mm, apex obtuse;

pistils 6, 3 fertile, 3 sterile.

sessile;

perianth 1–1.5 × 0.5 mm;

anther 0.5 × 0.4 mm;

ovary 1–2 mm;

style 0.5 mm (bisexual), 30 cm (pistillate).

Fruits

fruiting receptacle with wings;

schizocarps globose to broader than long, 1–2 × 1.5–2.3 mm;

mericarps obovate, strongly 3-keeled, 1–1.5 × 0.5–0.9 mm, beak reflexed, ca. 0.2 mm.

2–5 mm.

Chromosome number

unavailableunknown.

2n

= 12.

Triglochin striata

Lilaea scilloides

Phenology Flowering summer-- and fall. Flowering summer.
Habitat Coastal alkaline marshes Shallow water and adjacent mud flats
Elevation 0–10 m (0–0 ft) 0–1700 m (0–5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CA; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; OR; SC; VA; Mexico; West Indies (Bahamas, Greater Antilles); South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; MT; NV; OR; WA; AB; BC; SK; Mexico; South America (Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru) [Introduced, se Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The taxonomic position of Lilaea is uncertain. The genus often is treated as a monotypic family (Lilaeaceae) that is closely allied to the Juncaginaceae. Lilaea, for example, possesses lactifers, unknown in other Juncaginaceae. The lactifers, plus uncertainty regarding the interpretation of floral morphology in Lilaea, prompted a decision to retain it in the Liliaeaceae pending further study (P. B. Tomlinson 1982). Embryologic, cytologic, and palynologic evidence, however, indicate a close relationship between Lilaea and other genera of the Juncaginaceae. Despite the presence of lactifers, Lilaea has been considered similar enough to warrant the inclusion of the genus in the Juncaginaceae (A. Cronquist 1981). Molecular evidence also corroborates the close relationship between Lilaea and Triglochin (D. L. Les and R. R. Haynes 1995).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 22. FNA vol. 22.
Parent taxa Juncaginaceae > Triglochin Juncaginaceae > Lilaea
Sibling taxa
T. gaspensis, T. maritima, T. palustris
L. scilloides
Synonyms Phalangium scilloides, L. subulata
Name authority Ruiz & Pavón: Flora Peruviana 3: 72. 1802 (as striatum) (Poiret) Hauman: Publ. Inst. Invest. Geogr. Fac. Filos. Letras Univ. Buenos Aires A 10:26. (1925)
Web links