Periballia

Periballia is a genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the Poaceae family. It is native to the Mediterranean region.

Some authors include it in the genus Deschampsia.

Description

It is a deciduous herbaceous plant that reaches 25 cm in height. It has linear and narrow leaves 0.5-2 mm wide. The flowers are hermaphroditic and are in panicles.

They are annual plants. Leaves with sheaths with free margins; ligule lanceolate, acute, membranous; limb slender, convoluted on desiccation. Inflorescence in a lax panicle. Spikelets with 2 hermaphroditic flowers articulated with the rachilla; hirsute rachilla Glumes shorter than the flowers, subequal, acute, the lower one uninervated, the upper three-veined. Rachilla not prolonged above the flowers. Elliptic, obtuse lemma, with 5 slightly marked nerves, mutic or with a straight subbasal edge, membranous, with scabrid apex. Orbicular callus, pubescent. Palea as long or slightly shorter than the lemma. Lodicules with 1 lateral tooth. Ovary glabrous. Caryopsis oblongoid, slightly compressed, free. Point thread.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Carl Bernhard von Trinius and published in Fundamenta Agrostographiae 133. 1820.

Etymology

Periballia: generic name derived from the Greek peri = (around) and ballo = (to launch), of dark allusion.

Cytology

It has a chromosome number of: x = 4 and 7. 2n = 8, 14, and 18. 2 ploidies. 'Large' chromosomes.

Species

• Periballia hispanica
• Periballia involves
• Periballia minuta
• Periballia poaeoides