Luziola

Scientific name

Luziola Juss.

Common names

water grass

Family

Poaceae

Similar genera

Isachne, Hygroryza, and numerous other grasses

Native distribution

tropical North America and South America

Species cultivated

Luziola fluitans (Michx.) Terrell & H. Rob

Adventive distribution

Luziola peruviana J.F. Gmel. and L. subintegra Swallen are introduced into the United States.

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

submerged, emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
or floating grass, typically attached, often mat-forming

Brief description

Creeping and floating grass, stoloniferous. Culms submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
, emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
or floating, erect or ascending, branched, rooting at nodes. Leaves alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
, caulinecauline:
(adj) pertaining to or belonging to the stem
; sheath open; auriclesauricles:
(n) an ear-shaped lobe or appendage at the base of some leaves and flower petals
absent; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
linear to lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
, flat. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
terminal or axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
, typically a paniclepanicle:
(n) an indeterminate, branched (often much-branched) inflorescence; the ultimate units may be of a different inflorescence type
, less often a racemeraceme:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranched inflorescence having pedicelled flowers on a usually elongated axis (may be cymose)
or spikespike:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranching inflorescence of sessile flowers or flower clusters on a usually elongated axis
; male and female spikelets usually in separate terminalterminal:
(adj) at the apex
and laterallateral:
(adj) on or pertaining to the side of an organ or structure
inflorescences. Spikelets solitary, pedicellatepedicellate:
(adj) borne on a pedicel
; linear to ellipticelliptic:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
or ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
to orbicularorbicular:
(adj) circular in outline
, laterally compressed to subterete; glumes absent; lemmas and paleas lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
to ellipticelliptic:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
or ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, membranous, or hyalinehyaline:
(adj) thin and translucent or transparent
.

Natural habitat

in fresh to brackish water, shallow or fluctuating

Additional comments

A genus comprising about 10 species, of which all are wetland or aquatic species.