Chloris virgata Sw.

Feather Windmill Grass; Feather Fingergrass

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Feather Windmill Grass is an introduced herbaceous annual in the Grass family (Poaceae). It is native to tropical and subtropical areas of Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas. In Alabama it can be found in scattered areas throughout the state. Feather Windmill Grass grows along roads and railroads, in fallow fields, and in other disturbed habitats. It is a clump forming warm season grass with fibrous roots. Stems are erect or geniculately ascending, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes. The stems are 1-2 feet in height, green in color, and glabrous. Leaves are basal and cauline. The basal leaves are keeled. Leaves are flat, linear, entire, and glabrous. The ligule is glabrous or ciliate. Flowers are produced in 5-12 digitately arranged erect spikes. The spikes are pale brown or tinged with pink or purple. Spikelets are 2-3 flowered. The glumes are 1-nerved and the upper glume has a long awn. The lemma is ovate-lanceolate in outline and densely covered in silky hairs. The fruit is a grain.—A. Diamond

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Not Native

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