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Info
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus etymology: Polypogon = "several beard" [Greek] refering to the bristly glumes
Species etymology: viridis = green [Latin] likely refering to its green spikelets
Photosynthetic type: C3 (cool season)
Nativity: naturalized - accidental
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1864
Map
Inflorescence
image credit: Daniel_CahenPlant
image credit: Daniel _CahenSpikelets
image credit: Daniel_CahenDescription
Plants perennial, often flowering the first year. Culms 10-90 cm, sometimes decumbent and rooting at the lower nodes. Sheaths glabrous, smooth; ligules to 5 mm; blades 2-13 cm long, 1-6 mm wide. Panicles 2-10 cm, ovate-oblong to pyramidal, dense but interrupted, pale green to purplish; pedicels not developed; stipes 0.1-0.6 mm. Glumes 1.5-2 mm, scabrous on the back and keel, apices obtuse or truncate, unawned; lemmas about 1 mm, erose, unawned; paleas subequal to the lemmas; anthers 0.3-0.5 mm. 2n = 28, 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_viridis )
ase and rooting at nodes, (1.5-)3-6(-8) dm long. Sheaths smooth, broad; ligule 1.5-4(-6) mm long, truncate, erose-ciliolate and somewhat lacerate; blades flat, relatively wide, (1.5-)2.5-4(-7) mm long, upper surface smooth or scabrous. Inflorescences paniculate, (2-)4-10(-16) cm long, compact, interrupted, the branches ascending to erect, spikelet-bearing to base; spikelets slightly laterally compressed, rachilla not prolonged; glumes small, subequal, (1.2-) 1.5-1.8(-2) mm long, 1-nerved, densely and evenly scabrous, first glume ovate, second glume lanceolate; lemma membranous, 0.8-1.2 mm long, awnless, minutely apiculate by the excurrent nerves, callus blunt and glabrous; palea 0.5-1 mm long. Caryopsis brown, cylindrical, 0.7-1 mm long, ca. 0.3 mm wide. [2n = 14, 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 )