Poaceae
Chloris

Chloris virgata Sw.

First published in Fl. Ind. Occid. 1: 203 (1797)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Temp. & Subtropical America. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as animal food and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Basal innovations subterete, or flabellate. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 50-100 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 10-30 cm long; 2-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-12; digitate; spreading; unilateral; 2-10 cm long. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2.5-4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2.5-4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5-2.5 mm long; 0.5-0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.5-4.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma obovate; laterally compressed; elliptic in profile; 2.5-4 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid, or dark brown; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma surface with conspicuous apical hairs. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma hairs 1.5-4 mm long. Lemma apex obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 5-15 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 2 in number; barren; in a clump; oblong; 2-2.5 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas glabrous; awned (one of them); 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns subapical; 5-12 mm long; 1 per spikelet in number.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; trigonous. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
Reference
Cynodonteae. FTEA.
[GB]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 500–2500 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Cundinamarca, Huila, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 60 cm. high.
[FWTA]

Gramineae, T. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:2. 1999

Morphology General Habit
Robust annual up to 90 cm tall, erect or geniculately ascending, sometimes rooting from the lower nodes; lower sheaths strongly keeled and often flabellate; leaf laminas (2)10–24 cm × 2–6 mm, flat or folded, tapering to a fine point.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 4–12 digitate racemes 4.5–10 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets (2)3-flowered, 2-awned; inferior glume 2–2.5 mm long; superior glume 3.2–3.6 mm long; floret callus rounded; fertile lemma 2.8–3.2 mm long, obliquely obovate and somewhat gibbous in profile, pallid or dark, ciliate on the margins, keel and flanks and with a subapical crown of hairs 1.5–4 mm long on each side, the awn 8–12 mm long; 2nd lemma oblong, 2–2.5 mm long, glabrous, with an awn 6–9 mm long; 3rd lemma (when present) an awnless clavate scale 0.5–1.2 mm long.
[FZ]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 500 - 2500 m.; Andes, Valle del Cauca.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 70 cm high, erect or ascending, occasionally rooting at the lower nodes; leaves linear, tapering
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a head of 4–8 digitate racemes, these 2.5–5 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3-flowered, 2-awned; fertile lemma obliquely obovate in profile, the keel slightly gibbous, 2–3.6 mm long, shortly ciliate on the margins, flanks and keel, with a crown of spreading hairs 1.5–4 mm long just below the tip, and with an awn 2.5–8.5 mm long; 2nd lemma an oblong glabrous scale; 3rd lemma a clavate glabrous awnless scale.
Distribution
N1, 2; C2; S1–3 throughout the tropics.
Ecology
Altitude range 200–1500 m.
Vernacular
Agar, aus dug, rareh biyud (Somali).
[FSOM]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Annual; culms up to 1 m. high, erect or geniculately ascending, occasionally rooting at the lower nodes.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades flat, 10–30 cm. long, 2–6 mm. wide, tapering at the apex; basal sheaths strongly keeled and often flabellate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 4–12 digitate, spreading, feathery spikes 2–10 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets (2–)3-flowered, 2-awned; lower glume 1.5–2.5 mm. long; upper glume 2.5–4.5 mm. long, including the short awn-point if present; lowest lemma obliquely obovate in side view, 2.5–4 mm. long, pallid or dark, ciliate along the margins, keel and flanks, with a crown of hairs 1.5–4 mm. long at the apex, the awn 5–15 mm. long; callus rounded, pilose; 2nd lemma slightly projecting from the side of the lowest lemma, oblong, 2–2.5 mm. long, glabrous, with an awn 5–12 mm. long; 3rd lemma an awnless clavate scale 0.5–1.2 mm. long.
Figures
Fig. 97, p. 344.
Habitat
Scattered tree grassland, bushland and disturbed habitats on a variety of soils; 10–2000 m.
Distribution
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 widely distributed throughout the tropics
[FTEA]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Blue grass, Feather Finger Grass, Feather finger grass, Feather top chloris, Feathertop grass, Hay grass, Old-land's grass

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0