Hyparrhenia hirta

(L.) Stapf
Common names: Thatching grass
Introduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 678.

Plants perennial; cespitose but with short rhizomes. Culms 30-100 cm. Sheaths glabrous; blades 2-40 cm long, 1-3(4) mm wide. Peduncles 5-10 cm; rames 1-3.5(4) cm, 1 almost sessile, the other with a 5-10 mm base, both with 8-14 heterogamous spikelet pairs. Glumes of all spikelets densely pubescent, hairs to 0.3 mm, white to dark yellow. Sessile spikelets of homogamous pairs 4.9-5.6 mm; sessile spikelets of heterogamous pairs 4-4.5 mm; lemmas awned, awns 1-3.5 cm. Pedicellate spikelets 4.8-6.5 mm. 2n = 30, 44, 45.

Distribution

Calif., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Tex.

Discussion

Hyparrhenia hirta is native to southern Africa, where it grows on stony soils and is sometimes used for thatching. It has been cultivated in Texas and Florida, but is not currently known to be established in the Flora region. A report of its occurrence in Los Angeles County, California, has not been verified.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.