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Grass Gallery
Poaceae, Chloridoideae, Cynodonteae - Windmillgrass
(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)
tribe Cynodonteae
Hooded Windmillgrass (Hooded Fingergrass) Chloris cucullata
The red seed tuft is about 2" wide and turns yellow as it matures. Inflorescences comes out of a sheath (cucullata) that is short so they curl out. Grass is very similar to the Bermuda in yards except that the tuft is thicker. Fair forage for cattle.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2004, July 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Brown)
Base: perennial bunchgrass with occasional short stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 2-4mm wide, 20cm long
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): glabrous
Culm (main grain stem): erect, 15-60cm tall
Inflorescence: up to 20 radiating branches 2-5cm long. Branches are tightly spaced.
Spikelet: opposite and below the branch, round seed
Similar Species
Shortspike Windmillgrass Chloris subdolichostachya
Considered as a cross - C. cucullata x C. verticillata
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Brown)
Base: perennial bunchgrass with many stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 1-3mm wide, 10-20cm long, mostly basal with
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): glabrous, laterally compressed and keeled
Culm (main grain stem): erect, 30-70cm tall
Inflorescence: very variable in size and arrangement, 5-many branches 3-17.5cm long
Spikelet: opposite
tribe Cynodonteae
Tumble Windmillgrass (Hooded Crowfoot Grass) Chloris verticillata
Not eaten by cattle.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Jones, Runnels, Eastland, Brown)
Base: perennial bunchgrass, will root at culm nodes
Blade (leaf): 2-3mm wide, 15cm long
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): glabrous, 2mm long hairs at blade, laterally compressed and keeled
Culm (main grain stem): erect to reclined, 15-40cm tall
Inflorescence: 10-16 radiating branches 5-15cm long. Branches are in whorls with the terminal branch upright.
Spikelet: opposite and below the branch, oblong
tribe Cynodonteae
Feather Fingergrass (Showy Chloris, Feathertop Windmillgrass) Chloris virgata
Fair forage for cattle.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, August 2004
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Jones, Nolan, Coleman, Brown)
see similar Edwards Plateau Beardgrass
Base: annual bunchgrass
Blade (leaf): 15mm wide, 30cm long
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): glabrous, hairs at blade
Culm (main grain stem): erect with reclined stononiferous base, up to1 meter long
Inflorescence: 4-20 radiating branches 5-10cm long. Branches erect and close-set.
Spikelet: fuzzy with awns up to 9mm long
tribe Cynodonteae
Bermudagrass Cynodon dactylon
Notice: not the same Genus as any of the above.
This is an invasive species. The name comes from the island where it first became a problem. Recovers quickly from damage. Drought tolerant. Highly nutritional for cattle.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, October 2004, October 2007
(Introduced, native of Africa, cultivated with many variations)
Base: perennial mat, rhizomes, roots at culm nodes
Blade (leaf): 1-3mm wide, 3-8cm long
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): glabrous, hairs at blade
Culm (main grain stem): stononiferous with only inflorescence erect
Inflorescence: 3-5 radiating branches 2-6cm long. One whirl.
Spikelet: opposite and below the branch, awnless
tribe Cynodonteae
Windmillgrass **zg 6** Scientific name
Looks like Chloris andropogonoides or Chloris texensis but no awns. Short hairy ligule. Edge of sheath is translucent.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July 2007
(Native of ?)
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