Leersia virginica Willd.

First published in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 1: 325 (1797)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Canada to Central & E. U.S.A. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes short; scaly. Culms decumbent; 50-120 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-3 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 5-20 cm long; 6-15 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough on both sides; pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle open; ovate; 10-24 cm long; contracted about secondary branches. Primary panicle branches 4-8 in number; 1 -nate; 8-12 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; bearing congested spikelets. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; (2.4-)3-3.6(-4) mm long; 1.5 mm wide; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; (2.4-)3-3.6(-4) mm long; 1.5 mm wide; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes both absent or obscure.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma 2.5-4 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliate. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma margins involute; eciliate, or ciliate. Palea 1.1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 3 -veined; 1-keeled. Palea keels eciliate, or ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2. Anthers 2; 1-1.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.
Distribution
North America: eastern Canada, north-central USA, northeast USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA. South America: Brazil.
Reference
Oryzeae. Pyrah.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/64316936/67729947

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images