Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.

centipede grass


Info

Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Eremochloa = "solitary grass" [Greek] refering to the inflorescence being a single spike
Species etymology: ophiuroides = "resembling the genus Ophiurus C.F.Gaertn." [Latin] refering to the inflorescence; Ophiurus means "snake tail" in Greek
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - intentional
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1983

Map

 Distribution of Eremochloa ophiuroides in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Eremochloa ophiuroides Inflorescence
Eremochloa ophiuroides Inflorescence
Eremochloa ophiuroides Inflorescence
Eremochloa ophiuroides Inflorescence

Plant

Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant
Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant
Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant
Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant
Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant
Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant
Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant
Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant
Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant
Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant
Eremochloa ophiuroides Plant

Habit

Eremochloa ophiuroides Habit
Eremochloa ophiuroides Habit
Eremochloa ophiuroides Habit

Spikelets

Eremochloa ophiuroides Spikelets
Eremochloa ophiuroides Spikelets
Eremochloa ophiuroides Spikelets
Eremochloa ophiuroides Spikelets

Landscape

Eremochloa ophiuroides Landscape

Collar

Eremochloa ophiuroides Collar
Eremochloa ophiuroides Collar
Eremochloa ophiuroides Collar
Eremochloa ophiuroides Collar
Eremochloa ophiuroides Collar
Eremochloa ophiuroides Collar
Eremochloa ophiuroides Collar
Eremochloa ophiuroides Collar
Eremochloa ophiuroides Collar

Description

Plants mat-forming, stoloniferous, stolons to 150 cm, often branched, with well-developed leaves, and (usually) axillary fascicles of closely imbricate leaves. Culms 10-35 cm, unbranched. Sheaths mostly glabrous, margins sometimes pilose, keeled; leaves mostly basal, blades of basal leaves 0.5-15 cm long, 1-5 mm wide, glabrous or pilose, with papillose-based hairs near the base, margins glabrous or pectinate near the base; blades of upper leaves reduced to obsolete. Rames 1-3, 3-12 cm, straight; internodes 2-2.3 mm. Sessile spikelets (2.2)3-4 mm long, (1.1)1.8-2.2 mm wide, elliptic; calluses sparsely pubescent; glumes glabrous; lower glumes 5-7-veined, obtuse to truncate, often notched, keels with 1-several, 0.2-0.3 mm hooklike spines near the base, winged distally; upper glumes 3-veined, elliptic, acute; anthers of lower florets about 0.3 mm; anthers of upper florets 1.5-1.7 mm. Pedicels 2.8-3.5 mm long, about 0.5 mm wide at midlength. Pedicellate spikelets absent or to 3.4 mm, occasionally well-developed. Caryopses 1.5-2 mm, purple to reddish-brown or brown. 2n = 18.
(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/Cenchrus_americanus )