50. Axonopus Beauv. 



Tufted and usually stoloniferous perennials; blades broad and flat; floriferous 

 culm at anthesis short, after anthesis greatly elongating, filiform; panicle a 

 terminal pair of ascending divergent linear spikes, with or without another 1 or 2 

 spikes attached to the axis subterminally; spikes with flattened or even narrowly 

 winged rachises; zone of abscission at the base of the spikelet; spikelets solitary, 

 in 2 rows on the abaxial side of (and appressed to) the rachis, considerably 

 dorsally compressed; first glume absent; "second" (or only) glume abaxial (away 

 from the rachis), as large as the spikelet; sterile lemma appressed to the rachis 

 (sterile palea absent); fertile lemma oblong, abaxial, thin-cartilaginous but not 

 indurate, the margins revolute and clasping the palea of the same texture; fertile 

 floret perfect. 



A genus of warm parts of America, with perhaps as many as 75 species. They 

 are of considerable importance in pastures near the coast in east and southeast 

 Texas. 



1. Spikelets 4.5-6 mm. long; spikes about 2 mm. thick 1. A. furcatus. 



1. Spikelets 1.7-3 mm. long; spikes about 1 mm. thick (2) 



2(1). Spikelets (2.3-) 2.5-3 mm. long 2. A. compressus. 



2. Spikelets 1.7-2.2 mm. long 3. A. affinis. 



1. Axonopus furcatus (Fliigge) Hitchc. Fig. 141. 



Stoloniferous perennial with floriferous tufts at the nodes; culms 4-10 dm. 

 long, compressed, 2-4 mm. wide on the broad axis; ligule a minute firm scale or 

 obsolete; blades 5-15 (-25) cm. long, 5-10 (-13) mm. broad, blunt; spikes 2, 

 digitate, 4-10 cm. long, about 2 mm. thick; spikelets 4.5-6 mm. long, glabrous, 

 apically pointed. 



Moist sand, in marshes, on river banks and wet pine barrens, e. and s.e. Tex., 

 infrequent, summer-fall; Coastal States. Va. to Tex.; also Ark. 



2. Axonopus compressus (Sw.) Beauv. Fig. 141. 



Tufted perennial; culms 20-75 cm. long, compressed, about 2 mm. broad on 

 the long axis, often rather long-stoloniferous basally, the tufted floriferous culms 

 erect and unbranched; ligule a scale about 0.5 mm. long; blades 8-25 cm. long 

 (shorter on stolons), 5-7 (-10) mm. broad; spikes 2 to 4, 4-10 cm. long, 1 mm. 

 thick; spikelets (2.3-) 2.5-3 mm. long, minutely pubescent basally, apically 

 pointed, the point prolonged beyond the blunt end of the fruit. 



Moist or wet sand, s.e. Tex., rare (near Anahuac, Chambers Co.), mostly in 

 the fall; widespread in warmer parts of Am., n. to Fla., La. and Tex. 



3. Axonopus affinis Chase. Carpet grass. Fig. 141. 



Tufted perennial; culms 20-75 cm. long, compressed, about 2 mm. broad on the 

 long axis, often rather long-stoloniferous basally, forming carpets but the tufted 

 floriferous culms erect and unbranched; ligule a scale about 0.3 mm. long; blades 

 6-17 (-28) cm. long, shorter on the stolons, 3-6 (-9) mm. broad, flat, blunt; 

 sheaths keeled, spikes 2 to 4, 2-10 cm. long, about 1 mm. broad; spikelets 1.7-2.2 

 mm. long, very minutely pubescent around the edges, apically rather blunt, the 

 "second" glume not much if any prolonged beyond the fruit. 



Moist sand, in wet mucky or sandy meadows, openings in forests, roadsides, 

 in s.e. Okla. {Waterfall) and e. and s.e. Tex., very frequent, spring-fall (in 

 Calhoun, Jackson and Aransas cos. even as late as Dec. and as early as Feb.); 

 widespread in warmer parts of Am. n. to N. C. and the Gulf States, Ark. and 

 Okla. 



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