Chloris divaricata R.Br.

synonyms: Chloris divaricata var. cynodontioides, Chloris divaricata var. divaricata, Chloris cynodontoides


star grass


Info

Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus etymology: Chloris = Goddess of vegetation [Greek], generally used to refer to a pale green color
Species etymology: divaricata = "widely spread" [Latin] refering to the inflorescence branches
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - accidental
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1924

Map

 Distribution of Chloris divaricata in Hawaiʻi.
 Distribution of Chloris divaricata in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Chloris divaricata Inflorescence
Chloris divaricata Inflorescence
Chloris divaricata Inflorescence
Chloris divaricata Inflorescence
Chloris divaricata Inflorescence
Chloris divaricata Inflorescence
Chloris divaricata Inflorescence

Plant

Chloris divaricata Plant
Chloris divaricata Plant
Chloris divaricata Plant
Chloris divaricata Plant

Habit

Chloris divaricata Habit
Chloris divaricata Habit
Chloris divaricata Habit

Spikelets

Chloris divaricata Spikelets
Chloris divaricata Spikelets
Chloris divaricata Spikelets
Chloris divaricata Spikelets

Collar

Chloris divaricata Collar

Description

Plants perennial; cespitose to shortly stoloniferous. Culms 20-50 cm. Sheaths glabrous; ligules membranous, ciliolate; blades to 15 cm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, glabrous or scabrous. Panicles digitate, with 3-9 branches; branches 4-17 cm, evidently distinct, becoming horizontal, spikelet-bearing to the base or within 0.5 cm of the base, distal portion with 3-7 spikelets per cm. Spikelets appressed, with 1 bisexual and 1 sterile floret. Lower glumes 0.9-1.8 mm; upper glumes 2-2.9 mm; lowest lemmas 2.9-4 mm, linear to narrowly lanceolate, mostly glabrous or scabrous, margins glabrous or with a few short, appressed hairs near the apices, 1-3-awned, central awns 7.5-17 mm, lateral lobes unawned or with awns less than 0.4 mm; second florets 1.2-1.9 mm, narrowly elliptic, bilobed for 1/3–1/2 of their length, apices acute, awned from between the lobes, awns 4.5-9.5 mm. Caryopses about 2.2 mm long, about 0.4 mm wide, narrowly ellipsoid. 2n = unknown.
(Description source: Barkworth, M.E., Capels, K.M., Long, S. & Piep, M.B. (eds.) 2003. Flora of North America, north of Mexico. Volume 25. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, Part 2. Oxford University Press, New York. 783 pp. http://floranorthamerica.org/Chloris_divaricata )

Branched perennials with slender, creeping stolons; culms erect or sometimes prostrate, 20-40 cm tall, glabrous. Sheaths shorter than the internodes, usually somewhat keeled, often slightly inflated, glabrous, margins sometimes scarious; ligule a row of hairs ca. 0.5 mm long; blades flat or involute, 4-20 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, upper surface scabrous. Inflorescences consisting of 4-7 spikes, each one 4-20 cm long, digitately arranged at apex of rachis, spreading, slender; spikelets 2-flowered, 3- 4 mm long (excluding awns), closely appressed to rachis; glumes narrow, with 1 scabrous nerve, acuminate, first glume 1.5- 2 mm long, second glume ca. 3 mm long; first lemma subcoriaceous, 3-3.5 mm long, narrow, scaberulous and ciliate in upper part, attenuate, awn 5-6 mm long; first palea ca. 2 mm long, narrow, scabrous on keels; rudimentary lemma narrow, ca. 1.5 mm long, acute, bifid, awn 1.5-2 mm long. Caryopsis golden brown, ca. 2 mm long, narrow, triangular, attenuate at both ends.
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )