Catabrous

Catabrosa is a genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the Poaceae family. It is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It comprises 62 described species and of these, only 2 accepted.

Description

Plants are perennials with flat leaf-blades. Inflorescence in the form of a lax panicle. Spikelets usually 2-flowered, sometimes 3-1 or floreted, subteretes; Glumes unequal, shorter than spikelet, slender, lower nerveless, upper prominent (1 -) 3-veined, glabrous; lemmas oblong when flattened, rounded behind, membranous with a scarious apex, prominently 3-veined; palea 2-keeled, similar in texture to lemma; stamens 3.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Ambroise Marie François Joseph Palisot de Beauvois and published in Essai d'une Nouvelle Agrostographie 97. 1812. The type species is: Catabrosa aquatica (L.) P.Beauv.

Cytology

The basic chromosome number of the genus is x = 5, with somatic chromosome numbers of 2n = 10 and 20, since there are diploid species and a polyploid series. Relatively "large" chromosomes.

Etymology

Catabrosa: generic name derived from the Greek katabrosis = (to eat or devour), alluding to the jagged glumes.

Species

• Aquatic catabrous (L.) P.Beauv.
• Catabrosa werdermannii (Pilg.) Nicora & Rúgolo