Poaceae
Chloris

Chloris formosana (Honda) Keng

First published in Clav. Gen. Sp. Gram. Prim. Sin.: 197 (1957)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. China to Vietnam, Taiwan. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Stolons absent, or present. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30-75 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10-20 cm long; 1.5-3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous. Racemes 5-9; digitate; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 4-8 cm long. Rhachis subterete; pilose on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2.3-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2.3-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1-1.5 mm long; 0.5-0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.2-2.5 mm long; 0.8-1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse; mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2.3-3 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate. Lemma surface glabrous to pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma hairs 1 mm long. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 2-5.7 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 2 in number; barren; in a clump; cuneate; 1.6-1.9 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 2.3-5 mm long; 2 per spikelet in number.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; trigonous; 1.2-1.6 mm long.
Distribution
Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.
Reference
Cynodonteae. Anderson.
[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]

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/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. 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 2026. 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