keys to the vascular plants of east texas - Botanical Research ...

868 POACEAE/CHLORIS
4. Inflorescence branches short, 2–5 cm long; lemma of fertile floret 1.5–2 mm long, with
awn usually 2 mm or less long ________________________________________________ C. cucullata
4. Inflorescence branches usually longer, 3–17.6 cm long; lemma of fertile floret 2.2–4.2
mm long, with awn 2 mm or more long.
5. Inflorescence appearing bristly-woolly at arm’s length; awn of lemma of fertile floret
5–15 mm long; upper margins of lemma of fertile floret with a prominent tuft of hairs
to ca. 2–3 mm long; plants annuals ___________________________________________ C. virgata
5. Inflorescence not appearing bristly-woolly at arm’s length; awn of lemma of fertile
floret 1.5–6.5 mm long; upper margins of lemma of fertile floret with OR without a
tuft of hairs; plants stoloniferous perennials.
6. Reduced floret(s) (1–)2–4, similar to perfect floret but smaller, often tapering to
apex, much longer than wide; upper margins of lower lemmas often with a prominent
tuft of hairs _______________________________________________________ C. gayana
6. Reduced floret 1, usually distinctly different from perfect floret, often with a squaredoff
apex, often nearly as wide as long, sometimes triangular; upper margins of
lower lemmas without a prominent tuft of hairs ___________________ C. �subdolichostachya
3. Inflorescence branches usually without spikelets near base (base of branches naked); lowest
spikelets of branch typically 3 mm or more apart.
7. Lemma of fertile floret 3.7–4.3 mm long, with awn 7–11 mm long; inflorescence branches
bare of spikelets on lower one-fourth to one-third of their length; awn of reduced floret
4.5–6.5 mm long; species reported in East TX only from Brazos and Harris cos. _______ C. texensis
7. Lemma of fertile floret 1.9–2.7 mm long, with awn 1.9–5.2 mm long; inflorescence
branches bare of spikelets only at very base (lower 2–15 mm), bearing spikelets along
most of their length; awn of reduced floret 2.5–3.5 mm long; species known from w and
sw margins of East TX _______________________________________________ C. andropogonoides
2. Reduced florets 2–4 per spikelet (Note: upper reduced florets are sometimes enclosed by the
lowermost reduced floret; also, reduced florets usually lack paleas); species (except for C. virgata)
rare in East TX and known only from s portion of area.
8. Inflorescence appearing bristly-woolly at arm’s length; awn of lemma of fertile floret 5–15
mm long; plants annuals ________________________________________________________ C. virgata
8. Inflorescence not appearing bristly-woolly at arm’s length; awn of lemma of fertile floret
0.5–5.5 mm long; plants tufted or stoloniferous perennials.
9. Inflorescence with 9–30 branches; perennials usually with stolons; lowermost reduced
floret 2.2–3.2 mm long _______________________________________________________ C. gayana
9. Inflorescence with 3–7(–9) branches; tufted perennials scarcely if at all stoloniferous;
lowermost reduced floret 1.1–1.8 mm long.
10. Inflorescence branches 2–6(–7) cm long; lemma of fertile floret 1.8–2.8 mm long,
with awn 0.9–1.4 mm long; lowermost reduced florets awnless or with awns 1.4
mm or less long __________________________________________________________ C. ciliata
10. Inflorescence branches (4–)6–14 cm long; lemma of fertile floret usually 3–3.7 mm
long, with awn 2.4–5.5 mm long; lowermost reduced florets with awns 1.5–3.5 mm
long _________________________________________________________________ C. canterae
Chloris andropogonoides E. Fourn., (resembling Andropogon—bluestem), SLIM-SPIKE WINDMILL
GRASS. Tufted perennial, 10–30(–40) cm tall, sometimes with short stolons; inflorescence
branches 6–14, 3–15 cm long, usually in a single whorl, rarely with a second poorly developed
whorl above first; lemma of fertile floret 1.9–2.7 mm long, glabrous or with inconspicuous appressed
hairs; awn of lemma of fertile floret 1.9–5.2 mm long; reduced floret 0.9–1.7 mm long,
obtuse apically but with awn 2.5–3.5 mm long. Prairies, open brushy areas, lawns, pastures,
roadsides; Bexar, Caldwell, Fayette, Wilson (BRIT), DeWitt, Hays, and Travis (Turner et al. 2003)
cos. in s part of East TX; also Gulf Prairies and Marshes, South TX Plains, and e Edwards Plateau;