Leersia oryzoides (L.) Sw.
rice cutgrass
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
rice cutgrass
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
Species Information
General:
Perennial grass from rhizomes; stems smooth, (30) 60-150 (200) cm tall.
Leaves:
Sheaths rough, the hairs angled backwards; blades (2) 6-10 mm wide, 2-6 (20) cm long, flat, strongly roughened on the margins with the hairs angled backwards, abruptly narrowed just below the base, the 2 margins freed from the sheaths at about the same level; ligules smooth, minutely jagged, more or less fringed with fine hairs, blunt, about 1 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a panicle, 10-20 cm long, with reduced, axillary panicles in the upper sheaths that often bear spikelets that are small, closed, infertile; glumes lacking; lemmas about 5 mm long, bristly-hairy, unawned; paleas equalling the lemmas; anthers 1-1.5 mm long; lodicules 0.3-0.4 mm long.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Green
Blooming Period:
Indeterminate
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Red
Present from Spring to Fall
Source: The USDA
Habitat and Range
Swamps, lakeshores and wet ditches in the lowland and steppe zones; rare in SC BC (Osoyoos and Ellison Lakes) and SW BC (lower Fraser Valley); circumpolar, E to NB and S to ME, MA, PA, NC, FL, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ and CA; Eurasia, S America.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Homalocenchrus oryzoides (L.) Pollich
Phalaris oryzoides L.