Scleropogon brevifolius

Scleropogon is a monotypic genus of herbaceous plants, belonging to the Poaceae family. Its only species: Scleropogon brevifolius, is Native to the southwestern United States, northern Mexico, Chile, and Argentina.

Description

They are perennial plants; stoloniferous or stoloniferous and cespitose with stems 10-20 cm tall; herbaceous Leaves mostly basal; not earphones. The linear blade; narrow; 1.5-2 mm wide; flat to fold (folded and arched up); without venation. The ligule is a fringe of hairs (very short). They are monoecious plants with all fertile spikelets unisexual or dioecious; without hermaphroditic florets. Spikelets of sexually distinct forms on the same plant (monoecious, male and female spikelets mixed or in separate panicles), or all alike in sexuality (dioecious); only female or only male. Cross-fertilizing plants (at least when dioecious).

Taxonomy

Scleropogon brevifolius was described by Rodolfo Amando Philippi and published in Anales de la Universidad de Chile 36: 206. 1870.

Etymology

The name of the genus derives from the Greek words skleros (hard) and pogon (beard), alluding to its hard awns.

brevifolius: Latin epithet meaning "with small leaves"

Sinonimia

• Festuca macrostachya Torr. " A.Gray
• Lesourdia karwinskyana E.Fourn.
• Lesourdia multiflora E.Fourn.
• Scleropogon karwinskyanus (E.Fourn.) Benth. ex S.Watson
• Scleropogon longisetus Beetle
• Tricuspis monstra Munro ex Hemsl.