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SPHENOPHOLIS Lamson-Scribn. Wedgescale
Plants hermaphroditic, caespitose, annual or weak perennial. Culms erect or ascending, glabrous; internodes
hollow, terete. Leaves cauline, not distinctly distichous; sheaths terete, margins open; auricles
absent; ligules membranous; blades flat, linear, lax. Panicles open or contracted; primary branches
spreading or ascending. Spikelets solitary, laterally compressed, disarticulation below glumes,
awned or awnless, pedicellate; florets usually 2-3, reduced floret absent or reduced floret at
apex, callus glabrous; rachilla extended beyond upper floret to form a bristle; glumes 2, more or less nearly
equal, nearly as long as first floret (dissimilar shape), glabrous, awnless; lemmas 5-veined
(inconspicuous), membranous, glabrous, apex entire, awnless or mucronate or awned; awns
dorsal when present, geniculate; paleas 2-veined (hyaline) awnless, glabrous to scabrous. Stamens 3; anthers
pale yellow. Caryoposes with liquid endosperm. Base chromosome x=7.
A temperate genus of about six species native to North America. The species of Sphenopholis are from
mesic or xeric habitats. The taxa are found in woodlands, prairies or marshes.
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