What is ligule and its function?

Of the three component organs of the grass leaf – blade, sheath and ligule – the ligule is the least studied and the least understood. Traditionally, it has been assumed to act in a passive way in protecting the culm and leaves that it encloses from the entry of water, dust and harmful spores.

What is ligule example?

Poaceae and Cyperaceae Some grasses do not have a ligule, for example barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli). A ligule can also be defined as a membrane-like tissue or row of delicate hairs typically found in grasses at the junction of the leaf sheath and blade.

What is ligule in leaf?

Ligule: The membranous appendage arising from the inner surface of the leaf at the junction with the leaf sheath in many grasses and some sedges.* In grasses, the ligule is an important identification characteristic.

What is ligule and auricle?

The auricle is a hairy and sickle-shaped organ that surrounds the culm, thus keeping the leaf sheath and culm together. The ligule is a thin and tongue-like white membrane that keeps the leaf sheath closed tightly against the auricles to prevent rainwater or dust from entering.

What is the function of the ligule in the maize plant?

Together, the ligule and auricle act as a hinge, extending the leaf blade at an angle at the blade-sheath boundary.

Does Lycopodium have ligule?

lycophytes. …a leaf; this is the ligule, a peculiar tonguelike outgrowth from the leaf surface near the leaf base. Leaves of Lycopodium and Selaginella can be differentiated on this basis. The ligule, which appears very early in the development of a leaf, is a surprisingly complex structure at maturity.

What are Glumes in rice?

In botany, a glume is a bract (leaf-like structure) below a spikelet in the inflorescence (flower cluster) of grasses (Poaceae) or the flowers of sedges (Cyperaceae).

What is Lemma and Palea?

Palea is the bracelets that grow on a compound flower’s receptacle. Lemma is one of the specialized bracts around florets in grass.

Do sedges have a ligule?

Leaf ligule (grass- or sedge-like plants only) A ligule is a small flap of tissue or ring of hairs at the junction of the two, inside the leaf and usually lying against the stem. Examples can be easily seen in most grasses.

What is thick bladed grass called?

Tall fescue is a thick bladed fast growing and uncontrollable perennial grass that usually grows in clumps in the middle of a lawn. Tall fescue is NOT controllable without killing the desirable grasses surrounding the tall fescue.

What is the grass in Florida called?

Augustine is the most common type of grass found in Florida home lawns—and for good reason! St. Augustine grass is widely adapted to the warm, humid and subtropical regions of the world.

What is the function of the pedicel?

The pedicel is a stalk or stem that supports a single flower. It connects the single flower to the inflorescence. It is usually seen in pedicellate flowers (e.g., Rose). The flowers without pedicels are called sessile flowers (e.g., Sunflower).

What are Lodicules?

Definition of lodicule : one of usually two delicate membranous hyaline scales at the base of the ovary of a grass that by their swelling assist in anthesis.

What is a glume?

Definition of glume : a chaffy bract specifically : either of two empty bracts at the base of the spikelet in grasses.

What is the function of ligule in selaginella?

The ligule is specialized for the production and secretion of extracellular mucilage. The ligule is a structure on the adaxial surface of the microphylls and sporophylls of Selaginella and consists of apical, basal, glossopodial, and sheath cells.

What is the tall thick grass in my lawn?

It’s probably Tall Fescue. Tall Fescue is not a weed. It’s actually a variety of grass has been used in the U.S. for quite a long time. The plant is used heavily along road sides or other utilitarian applications because of its low maintenance attributes and reliability.

What is the most durable grass in Florida?

We’re not ashamed to tell you—we’re Bahiagrass crazy. Why? Because it feels like it was tailor-made for the Florida weather. This type of grass (well, the Pensacola Bahiagrass) is the most common type of grass in Florida because it’s naturally resistant to stress, cooler temps, sun, drought, and more.

What is a ligule in plants?

A membranous scalelike outgrowth from the leaves of certain flowering plants. Many grasses have a ligule at the base of the leaf blade. 2. A small membranous structure that develops on the upper surface of a young leaf base in certain clubmosses, for example Selaginella. It withers as the plant matures.

What are the maize ligule and auricle?

The maize ligule and auricle are structures on the maize leaf that develop at the boundary of the sheath and the blade. The maize liguleless1 ( Ig1) mutant does not form a ligule and auricle and the blade–sheath boundary does not develop as an exact line between sheath and blade ( Moreno et al., 1997 ).

What is the difference between a leaf sheath and a ligule?

The ligule appears to be a continuation of the leaf sheath and encircles or clasps the stem as does the leaf sheath. The three basic types of ligules are: membranous, a fringe of hairs (ciliate), and absent or lacking.

Where is the ligule found in Poaceae and Cyperaceae?

Poaceae and Cyperaceae. The ligule is part of the leaf that is found at the junction of the blade and sheath of the leaf. It may take several forms, but it is commonly some form of translucent membrane or a fringe of hairs. The membranous ligule can be very short 1–2 mm ( Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis) to very long 10–20 mm ( Johnson grass,…