A ligule (from Latin: ligula "strap", variant of lingula, from lingua "tongue") is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf and leafstalk of many grasses (Poaceae) and sedges. A ligule is also a strap-shaped extension of the corolla, such as that of a ray floret in plants in the daisy family Asteraceae.

What is the function of ligule in grasses?

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 a ligule 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 are Auricles on grass?

Definition: Used for identifying different types of grass, depending on the shape and presence. An auricle is typically a short claw-shaped, rounded, or pointed attachment at the base of a leaf blade, which tends to attach the lower part of the leaf to the stem of the leaf or blade.

What is ligule and auricle?

is that ligule is (botany) in many grasses (poaceae) and some sedges (cyperaceae), the membranous appendage or ring of hairs projecting from the inner side of a leaf at the junction between the blade and the sheath while auricle is (botany) any appendage in the shape of an earlobe.

Auricles and ligules of giant reed

45 related questions found

Do all grasses have ligules?

Ligules and Auricles

None of the cool-season turfgrasses have ligules that appear as a fringe of hairs, but this feature is common on many weed grasses and most warm-season turfgrasses.

Which plant has ligule in leaf?

A ligule (from Latin: ligula "strap", variant of lingula, from lingua "tongue") is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf and leafstalk of many grasses (Poaceae) and sedges. A ligule is also a strap-shaped extension of the corolla, such as that of a ray floret in plants in the daisy family Asteraceae.

What grasses have a hairy Ligule?

In general, cool- season grasses either have ligules too small to see, or membranous ligules and warm-season grasses (ber- mudagrass, zoysiagrass) have hairy ligules and hairs around the base of the leaf.

How do you identify quackgrass?

Identification: The most distinct identification feature of quackgrass is its clasping auricles. Quackgrass can be distinguished from annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) with the presence of rhizomes (i.e. quackgrass has rhizomes and annual ryegrass does not).

Do all grasses have auricles?

Ligule form is often critical to the identification of a species. The ligule is also a useful structure to observe when identifying a grass without flowers. ... Many species have no auricle at all.

Is ligule present in Lycopodium?

Note: In Lycopodium there is a ligule, a strange tongue-like outcrop from the surface of the leaf at the base of the leaf. Leaves of Lycopodium and Selaginella can be distinguished on this basis. The ligule, which occurs very early in the growth of the leaf, is surprisingly complex at maturity.

Do Lycopodium have ligules?

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 is ligule mention its significance?

A ligule is the membraneous scale that is found at the inner junction or leaf sheath between the leaf and the stem of a grass plant (also found in sedges). It is one of the key parts of a grass plant to be able to identify its species and name. ... Some species have hairy projections as ligules.

What is the structure of ligule?

The ligule is considered to be a highly organized and differentiated leaf organ with a pholosynthetic mesophyll and an adaxial epidermis active in the synthesis of protein and polysaccharide.

What forms can a ligule take?

The ligule is an extra piece of tissue that forms at the growth point. I like to think of it as a “cuticle” that forms as the leaf blade grows. These ligules can be smooth or shaggy, pointed or flat. There are many, many different ways the ligule can take shape.

What is leaf sheath?

noun. botany the basal part of a grass leaf that encircles the stem.

Are crabgrass and quackgrass the same?

Crabgrass is a warm-season perennial grass while quackgrass is a cool-season perennial grass. Crabgrass roots form a shallow crab-like structure while a quackgrass root system forms rhizomes that grow horizontally and deep into the soil. Both of these weeds grow poorly in thick, shaded lawns.

Is crabgrass and quackgrass the same thing?

Quackgrass and crabgrass look somewhat alike, but they are very different. For one thing, quackgrass is a cool-season perennial (note its ability to grow in the high mountains) where crabgrass is a warm-season annual. They have different ways of spreading and the short-term solutions for eradication are different.

Is quack grass bad?

Despite its whimsical name, quackgrass is a formidable enemy that can take over a lawn quickly. Its strong, deep root system can grow into separate plant clumps if split, and no selective herbicide will kill it while leaving your lawn unaffected.

How can you tell the difference between bluegrass and ryegrass?

The tips of the leaf blades for both ryegrass species have a tapered shape. Kentucky bluegrass has a boat-shaped leaf tip. Annual ryegrass has a lime-green color, while the perennial variety is a richer green. Kentucky bluegrass is dark green with some blue tones.

Does Bermuda grass have a hairy ligule?

Bermudagrass is a mat-forming perennial grassy weed that aggressively spreads by both rhizomes and stolons. ... However, Bermudagrass has a hairy ligule, while the ligule of nimblewill is membranous.

What grass looks like Centipede?

Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) and centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) are warm-season grasses that are similar in many ways, but they differ significantly in cold tolerance and regional adaption.

Where we can see ligule in Selaginella?

A small, membranous, tongue-like structure, ligule (latin ligula = a small tongue), is located at the base of each vegetative, leaf and sporophyll (Fig. 7.51). The ligule is found on the ventral (upper) surface of the leaf.

Does Selaginella have Ligules?

In Selaginella, each microphyll and sporophyll has a small scale-like outgrowth called a ligule at the base of the upper surface. The plants are heterosporous with spores of two different size classes, known as megaspores and microspores. Under dry conditions, some species of Selaginella can survive dehydration.

What are the leaves of ferns called?

Fern leaves are often called fronds, the stalk of the leaf is called the stipe or petiole.