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Chloris gayana — Rhodes windmill-grass

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Facts

Rhodes windmill-grass is native to southern and eastern Africa, and widely naturalized elsewhere in Africa and around the world. It is considered one of the best forage grasses in tropical agro-ecosystems. It appears in scattered locations in southern and astern North America, and is a rare visitor to New England, having been collected only in Massachusetts.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields

New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Characteristics

Habitat
terrestrial
New England state
Massachusetts
Leaf blade width
1.5–9 mm
Inflorescence branches
the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
Spikelet length
2.5–4 mm
Glume relative length
neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
Awn on glume
the glume has no awn
One or more florets
there is more than one floret per spikelet
Lemma awn length
4–7.7 mm
Leaf sheath hair type
there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
Show all characteristics
  • Flowers

    Anther number
    3
    Awn on glume
    the glume has no awn
    Floret lower bract texture
    the lemma is thin and flexible
    Glume relative length
    neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
    Glume veins
    • 1
    • 3
    Inflorescence arrangement
    the spikelets are uniform
    Inflorescence axis orientation
    • the inflorescence axis is arched or curved outward
    • the inflorescence axis is straight
    Inflorescence branches
    the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
    Inflorescence length
    Up to 200 mm
    Inflorescence type (general)
    the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
    Inflorescence type (specific)
    the inflorescence is branched and the branches all grow from the same side of the plant and look like spikes
    Lemma awn base
    the awn is attached right at the tip of the lemma
    Lemma awn length
    4–7.7 mm
    Lemma awn number
    the lemma has one awn on it
    Lemma base hairs
    the lemma has hairs at the base
    Lemma cross-section
    the lemma is V-shaped if you cut across the midpoint
    Lemma marginal vein hairs
    the marginal vein of the lemma has fine hairs on it
    Lemma surface
    the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)
    Lemma vein number
    • 1
    • 3
    • 5
    • 7 or more
    One or more florets
    there is more than one floret per spikelet
    Palea relative length
    palea is one half to fully as long as lemma
    Spikelet axis tip
    there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
    Spikelet length
    2.5–4 mm
    Spikelets spiny
    the spikelets do not appear spiny
  • Growth form

    Horizontal rooting stem
    • no
    • yes
    Lifespan
    the plant lives more than two years
  • Leaves

    Leaf auricles
    the leaves do not have auricles
    Leaf blade width
    1.5–9 mm
    Leaf ligule type
    the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane with fine hairs
    Leaf sheath hair type
    there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
  • Place

    Habitat
    terrestrial
    New England state
    Massachusetts
    Specific habitat
    • man-made or disturbed habitats
    • meadows or fields
  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Plant height
    100–300 cm
    Stem spacing
    • the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
    • the stems grow singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)

Wetland status

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

In New England

Distribution

Connecticut
absent
Maine
absent
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
absent
Rhode Island
absent
Vermont
absent

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Massachusetts
unranked (S-rank: SNR)

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key

2.  Chloris gayana Kunth E

Rhodes windmill-grass. MA. Fields, roadsides, disturbed soil. The report of this species from Maine by Campbell et al. (1995) is based on a specimen from Hawaii—2 Mar 1930, Lowe s.n. ( MAINE!).

Native to North America?

No

Sometimes confused with

Chloris cucullata
Chloris virgata

Family

Poaceae

Genus

Chloris