Lasiacis

Lasiacis is a genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the Poaceae family. It is native to tropical and subtropical America. It comprises 35 described species and of these, only 15 accepted.

Description

They are perennial plants, rarely annual, tussock and erect, climbing or creeping; hermaphrodite or polygamous plants. rounded pods; ligule a membrane; blades linear to ovate, flattened, usually without pseudopetioles. Inflorescence an open or contracted panicle; spikelets subglobose, obovoid or ellipsoid, placed obliquely on the pedicel, with 2 florets; disarticulation below glumes, spikelet drooping as a unit; glumes and lower lemma abruptly apiculate, woolly apically, glossy black and with oily inner epidermis at maturity, lower glume 1/3–2/3 length of spikelet, 5–13-veined, upper glume and lower lemma nearly as long as lower spikelet, 7–15-veined; lower floret sterile or staminate; inferior palea 1/4 to as long as inferior lemma; upper floret bisexual; lemma and upper palea strongly indurated, woolly apically with slight excavations; lodicules 2; stamens 3; stigmas 2. Fruit a caryopsis; embryo ca 1/2 the length of the caryopsis, thread punctate or shortly oblong.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by (Griseb.) Hitchc. and published in Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 15: 16. 1910. The type species is: Lasiacis divaricata

Etymology

The generic name derives from the Greek lasios (wool) and akis (point), referring to the mature foil.

Species

• Lasiacis anomala
• Lasiacis divaricata
• Lasiacis grisebachii
• Lasiacis ligulata
• Lasiacis linearis
• Lasiacis nigra
• Lasiacis oaxacensis
• Lasiacis procerrima
• Lasiacis rhizophora
• Lasiacis rugelii
• Lasiacis ruscifolia
• Lasiacis scabrior
• Lasiacis sloanei
• Lasiacis sorghoidea
• Lasiacis standleyi