Poaceae
Chloris

Chloris verticillata Nutt.

First published in Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n.s., 5: 150 (1835)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is U.S.A. to NE. Mexico. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 14-40 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades 7-15 cm long; 2-3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes; deciduous as a whole. Peduncle disarticulating; disarticulating above uppermost sheath. Racemes 10-16; digitate; in several whorls; unilateral; 5-15 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1-4 cm long. Rhachis subterete; scabrous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax; regular. Raceme-bases filiform; 10-20 mm long. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2-3.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2-3.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2-3 mm long; 0.7-0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.8-3.5 mm long; 1-1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 2-3.5 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliate. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 4.8-9 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; oblong; 1.1-2.3 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 3.2-7 mm long; 1 per spikelet in number.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; dorsally compressed; trigonous; 1.1-2.3 mm long.
Distribution
North America: north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico.
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

    • 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 2024. 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 2024. 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