60. Vulpia C. C. Gmelin, Fl. Bad. 1: 8. 1805 [“1806”].
鼠茅属 shu mao shu
Authors: Sheng-lian Lu & Sylvia M. Phillips
Annuals. Culms tufted, slender. Leaf blades linear, usually involute; ligule membranous. Inflorescence a contracted, narrow, somewhat 1-sided panicle. Spikelets laterally compressed, florets several to many with the uppermost reduced, widely spaced; rachilla scabrid or pubescent, disarticulating below each floret; glumes narrow, very unequal, persistent; lower glume small, sometimes minute, 0–1-veined; upper glume much longer, 1–3-veined; lemmas narrowly lanceolate, membranous becoming firm at maturity, rounded or occasionally keeled, faintly 3–5-veined, back smooth, scabrid or pubescent, margins inrolled over palea, apex narrowed into an awn; awn straight or curved, usually longer than lemma; callus short, glabrous or bearded; palea slightly shorter than lemma, keels ciliolate. Stamens 1–3. Ovary glabrous. Caryopsis narrow, tightly enclosed by lemma and palea; hilum linear.
Twenty-six species: mainly temperate regions of the N hemisphere, extending into tropical uplands, also a few species in South America; a few species widely adventive; one species in China.
Vulpia is closely related to Festuca and is distinguished mainly by the annual habit.
