Chloris texensis

Chloris texensis

Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus: Chloris
Species: C. texensis
Binomial name
Chloris texensis
Nash

Chloris texensis is a species of grass known by the common name Texas windmill grass. It is endemic to Texas in the United States, where it occurs on the coastal prairies.[1]

This perennial grass forms clumps of stems up to 30 to 45 centimeters tall. The leaf blades are up to 15 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a panicle with several long, spreading branches arranged in a whorl. Each branch is up to 20 centimeters long and has 3 to 4 spikelets per centimeter along the distal part.[2] Flowering occurs in October and November.[3]

This plant grows on sparsely vegetated stretches of coastal prairie, often at mima mounds. Other plants located around these mounds include Hymenoxys texana, Thurovia triflora, and Rayjacksonia aurea.[3] It may also be associated with the rare Machaeranthera aurea.[1]

This plant is threatened with the loss of its habitat due to development, especially in the Houston area.[1][3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Chloris texensis. The Nature Conservancy.
  2. Chloris texensis. Grass Manual Treatment.
  3. 1 2 3 Chloris texensis. Center for Plant Conservation.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 2/19/2012. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.