What is the function of ligule?

Question

What is the function of ligule?

Answer 1

A ligule (from Latin ligula, diminutive of liga) can be observed in the leaf of a grass. It is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf and leafstalk.

The ligule is found at the inner base of the leaf between where the leaf attaches to the main stem and the stem itself. It may take several forms but 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, Sorghum halepense), it can also be smooth on the edge or very ragged. Some grasses do not have a ligule, for example barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crusgali).