Achnatherum parishii subsp. depauperatum

(M.E. Jones) Barkworth
Common names: Low needlegrass
Synonyms: Stipa coronata var. depauperata
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 129.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Cindy Roché

Copyright: Utah State University

Culms 14-35 cm tall, 0.8-1.7 mm thick, glabrous. Basal sheath margins glabrous or hairy distaily, hairs to 0.5 mm; blades 4-15 cm long, 1-2.5 mm wide, usually 0.5-1.5 mm in diameter and tightly convolute, conspicuously arcuate distaily, abaxial surfaces smooth, glabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous. Panicles 7-12 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide. Florets 4.8-6 mm; paleas densely hairy between the veins, some hairs as long as those on the lemmas; awns 10-17 mm; anthers 2.3-2.8 mm. Caryopses 3-4 mm, fusiform. 2n = unknown.

Discussion

Achnatherum parishii subsp. depauperatum grows in gravel and on rocky slopes, in juniper and mixed desert shrub associations, from central Nevada to western Utah. It differs from A. webberi in its persistent awns and thicker leaves that tend to curl when dry, and from A. parishii subsp. parishii in its smaller stature, glabrous or shortly hairy sheath margins, and densely hairy paleas.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number."thick" is not a number."prolonged" is not a number.

membranous +  and scarious +
not penicillate +
0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br /> (0.28 cm2.8 mm <br />0.0028 m <br />) +
awned +, bifid +, bilobed +  and entire +
rounded +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Mary E. Barkworth +
(M.E. Jones) Barkworth +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
flexuous +
subterminal +  and eccentric +
usually scabrous +  and scabridulous +
once-geniculate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
straight +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
not evident +
involute +, convolute +  and flat +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
flexuous +  and straight +
spikelike +
well-developed +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
Low needlegrass +
branching +  and not branching +
perennial +  and annual +
14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br /> (35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br />) +
intravaginal +  and basal +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (250 cm2,500 mm <br />2.5 m <br />) +
not woody +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br />) +
Utah +, Calif. +, Ariz. +  and Nev. +
1/5 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
0.48 cm4.8 mm <br />0.0048 m <br /> (0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br />) +
sometimes longer +
terete +  and fusiform +
4.8mm +  and 6mm +
1-10-veined +
subtending +
lanceolate +
unequal +  and subequal +
membranous +
uncinate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
solid +  and hollow +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
basally concentrated +  and evenly distributed +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
ovate +, rectangular +  and lanceolate +
stiffly membranous +  and coriaceous +
asymmetric +  and truncate +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
membranous +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
not lobed +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.9mm +  and 1.2mm +
concealed +  and prominent +
3 +  and 5 +
2 +  and 1 +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
well-developed +
not keeled +
reduced +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
7cm +  and 12cm +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
not prolonged +
1 +  and 60 +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
laterally compressed +  and terete +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
Stipa coronata var. depauperata +
Achnatherum parishii subsp. depauperatum +
Achnatherum parishii +
subspecies +
membranous +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
inconspicuous +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +