Polypogon fugax Nees ex Steud.

synonyms: Polypogon interruptus [misapplied in Hawai'i], Aspera interrupta [misapplied in Hawai'i], Andropogon luteolus [misapplied in Hawai'i], Polypogon lutosus [misapplied in Hawai'i], Polypogon littoralis [misapplied in Hawai'i]


ditch polypogon


Info

Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus etymology: Polypogon = "several beard" [Greek] refering to the bristly glumes
Species etymology: fugax = "ephemeral" [Latin] refering to its annual habit
Photosynthetic type: C3 (cool season)
Nativity: naturalized - accidental
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1838

Map

 Distribution of Polypogon fugax in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Polypogon fugax Inflorescence
Polypogon fugax Inflorescence
Polypogon fugax Inflorescence
Polypogon fugax Inflorescence
Polypogon fugax Inflorescence
Polypogon fugax Inflorescence
Polypogon fugax Inflorescence
Polypogon fugax Inflorescence
Polypogon fugax Inflorescence

Plant

Polypogon fugax Plant
Polypogon fugax Plant
Polypogon fugax Plant

Habit

Polypogon fugax Habit
Polypogon fugax Habit
Polypogon fugax Habit
Polypogon fugax Habit
Polypogon fugax Habit

Spikelets

Polypogon fugax Spikelets
Polypogon fugax Spikelets
Polypogon fugax Spikelets
Polypogon fugax Spikelets
Polypogon fugax Spikelets
Polypogon fugax Spikelets
Polypogon fugax Spikelets

Description

Plants annual. Culms (8.5) 15-60 cm, often decumbent at the base and rooting at the nodes. Sheaths smooth; ligules 2-8 mm; blades 2-16 cm long, 2-11 mm wide, scabrous. Panicles 3-15 cm long, 0.5-5 cm wide, narrowly ovoid, oblong, or cylindrical, dense, usually lobed, pale green or yellowish; pedicels absent or to 0.5 mm; stipes 0.2-1.3 mm. Glumes 1.8-2.4 mm, equal to subequal, scabridulous to echinate, not tapering to the apices, apices acute to rounded, lobed, lobes 0.1-0.2 mm, awned from the sinuses, awns 0.6-3 mm, those of the lower and upper glumes subequal to equal, flexuous; lemmas 0.9-1.2 mm, smooth, unawned or awned, awns to 2 mm, flexuous; paleas 0.7-1.2 mm, from 3/4 as long as to equaling the lemmas; anthers 0.3-0.6 mm. 2n = 42.
(Description source: Barkworth, M.E., Capels, K.M. & Long, S. (eds.) 1993. Flora of North America, north of Mexico. Volume 24. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, Part 1. Oxford University Press, New York. 911 pp. http://floranorthamerica.org/Polypogon_fugax )

Perennials; culms tufted, 0.5-6(-9) dm tall, sometimes decumbent at base and rooting at nodes. Sheaths smooth to scaberulous, margins overlapping, thin; ligule translucent, firm, (1.5-)3-7(-9.5) mm long, nerved, puberulent, margins entire to lacerate, apex narrowed, obtuse, or truncate; blades flat, 2-5(-9) mm wide, scabrous. Panicles 2-9(-15) cm long, interrupted, branches erect; glumes subequal, 1.7-2.5 mm long, keeled, hispidulous, apex narrowed abruptly into a terminal awn, sometimes minutely bifid, the awn (1-)1.5-3(-5) mm long; lemma narrowly lanceolate, (0.7-)1-1.5 mm long, smooth, glossy, apex minutely bifid, awned from near apex, the awn ca. 3 mm long; palea similar and nearly as long as lemma. Caryopsis pale brown, narrowly ovoid, 0.6-0.8 mm long. [2n = 28, 42.]
(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 )