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Apera is a genus of plants in the Poaceae family. It is native to Europe and western Asia.

Description

It is an annual plant similar to bamboo. It has fibrous roots and the stem is generally round and hollow with swollen nodes. The leaves are alternate and generally linear; pod generally open; membranous ligule. The inflorescence with many spikelets. The flowers are generally bisexual, tiny with three stamens and three stigmas. The fruit is an achene.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Michel Adanson and published in Familles des Plantes 2: 495. 1763. The type species is: Apera spica-venti

Etymology

Apera: generic name derived from the Greek of a = (no) and peros = (mutilated), contrasting the well-developed lemma awn with that of Calamagrostis calamagrostis, which was what helped Michel Adanson distinguish this genus.

Species

• Baytopian
• Midwayer
• Apera interrupta
• Apera spica-venti
• Triaristician aforesaid