Showy chloris

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Showy chloris habit

Showy chloris inflorescence post-flowering

Showy chloris

Showy chloris

Morphology

Culm

Ascending to spreading from decumbent base, solid above, often hollow below, smooth, somewhat flattened, branching at base and lower nodes; sometimes rooting at nodes.

Blades

Flat, to 9 inches long, 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide, surfaces and margins rough, sparsely long-hairy; tip tapering to sharp point.

Sheath

Shorter than internodes, slightly keeled, smooth, few hairs often at throat.

Ligule

Short fringed membrane.

Inflorescence

Panicles, terminal; branches 6-20, crowded, finger-like, erect or ascending, 2 to 3.5 inches long, pale green or tan, silky.

Spikelets

2-flowered, flattened, crowded on 1 side of slender branches; lower floret fertile; upper floret underdeveloped; glumes unequal, 1-nerved, tapering to points; lemma of fertile floret swollen, hairy at base, margins conspicuously fringed, awn rough, 1/8 to 2/5 inch long; underdeveloped floret with awn 1/10 to 1/3 inch long.

Ecology

Habitat

Pastures, disturbed prairies, roadsides, waste ground; sandy soil.

Distribution

Principally south 1/2 of Kansas.

Additional Notes