Sclerochloa dura

(L.) P. Beauv.
Common names: Hardgrass Fairground grass
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 481.

Plants often matted, occasionally with solitary culms. Culms 2-15 (30) cm, usually prostrate to procumbent, sometimes ascending, glabrous. Leaves strongly overlapping, generally exceeding the inflorescences; sheaths completely open or closed to 1/2 their length; ligules (0.3) 0.7-2 (3.5) mm, glabrous, acute; blades 0.5-5 (7) cm long, 1-4 mm wide, glabrous, apices prow-tipped. Racemes 1-4 (5) cm, often partially enclosed in the upper leaf-sheaths; pedicels 0.5-0.8 mm thick. Spikelets (3.4) 5-12 mm, with (2) 3-4 (7) florets. Lower glumes 1.4-3 (3.7) mm; upper glumes 2.6-5.4 (6.2) mm; lowest lemmas (3.4) 4.5-6 (7) mm, midveins scabridulous distally; distal lemmas successively smaller than the lower lemmas; anthers 0.8-1.5 mm. Caryopses weakly trigonous, rugulose. 2n = 14.

Distribution

Wash., Ill., Ind., Ky., Mich., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., Wis., W.Va., N.Mex., Tex., La., Tenn., B.C., Ont., Va., Colo., Ark., Ga., Idaho, Kans., Mo., Nebr., Okla., Oreg., Md., Calif., Iowa, Ariz., Mont., Utah, Miss.

Discussion

First collected in the United States in 1895, Sclerochloa dura is probably more widespread than indicated, because it is easily overlooked. It grows in lawns, campsites, roadsides, athletic fields, fairgrounds, and other disturbed sites. It is frequently found in severely compacted soils, because it can withstand heavy traffic by vehicles and pedestrians.

Sclerochloa dura is sometimes confused with Poa annua. The two species are superficially similar, occupy similar habitats, and have a similar phenology, but S. dura has blunt, glabrous lemmas and racemose inflorescences, whereas P. annua has obtuse to acute lemmas that are smooth and usually sericeous or crisply puberulent over the veins, and paniculate inflorescences. Plants of S. dura become stramineous in age, making them easy to locate because areas dominated by this species change color.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Sclerochloa dura"
membranous +  and scarious +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
prow-tipped +
rounded to emarginate +, obtuse +  and emarginate +
David M. Brandenburg +
(L.) P. Beauv. +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
basal +  and terminal +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
persistent +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
not evident +
folded +  and flat +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
spikelike +
Hardgrass +  and Fairground grass +
not branching +
usually prostrate +  and procumbent +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
not woody +
Wash. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Ky. +, Mich. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, Wis. +, W.Va. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, La. +, Tenn. +, B.C. +, Ont. +, Va. +, Colo. +, Ark. +, Ga. +, Idaho +, Kans. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, Okla. +, Oreg. +, Md. +, Calif. +, Iowa +, Ariz. +, Mont. +, Utah +  and Miss. +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
3 +  and 4 +
sterile +  and bisexual +
compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
unequal +
uncinate +
overlapping +
(5)7-9-veined +
lanceolate +  and ovate +
indurate +  and membranous +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
entire +  and lacerate +
0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
scabridulous +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
hairy +  and glabrous +
well-developed +
compressed +
spikelike +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
0.5mm +  and 0.8mm +
dry +  and fleshy +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
subsessile +  and pedicellate +
1 +  and 60 +
compressed +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Gramineae +
Sclerochloa dura +
Sclerochloa +
species +
membranous +
0.26 cm2.6 mm <br />0.0026 m <br /> (0.54 cm5.4 mm <br />0.0054 m <br />) +
parallel +  and converging +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
plant +  and matted +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +