Vulpia octoflora

(Walter) Rydb.
Common names: Sixweeks fescue
Synonyms: Festuca octoflora
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 450.

Culms 5-60 cm, solitary or loosely tufted, glabrous or pubescent. Sheaths glabrous or pubescent; ligules 0.3-1 mm; blades to 10 cm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, flat or rolled, glabrous or pubescent. Panicles 1-7 (20) cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, with 1-2 branches per node; branches appressed to spreading. Spikelets 4-10 (13) mm, with (4) 5-11 (17) florets; rachilla internodes 0.5-0.7 mm. Lower glumes 1.7-4.5 mm, 1/2 - 2/3 the length of the upper glumes; upper glumes 2.5-7.2 mm; lemmas 2.7-6.5 mm, 5-veined, smooth, scabrous, or pubescent, apices entire, no more pubescent than the bases, awns of the lowermost lemma in each spikelet 0.3-9 mm; paleas slightly shorter than the lemmas, apices entire or minutely bifid, teeth shorter than 0.2 mm; anthers 0.3-1.5 mm. Caryopses 1.7-3.7 mm. 2n = 14.

Distribution

Conn., N.J., N.Y., Fla., S.Dak., Wyo., Wash., W.Va., Del., D.C., Wis., Ariz., Colo., Ga., Iowa, Idaho, Mich., Miss., Nebr., Nev., Pa., Kans., Minn., N.Dak., Okla., Mass., Maine, N.H., R.I., Vt., N.Mex., Tex., La., Tenn., N.C., S.C., Va., Calif., Ala., Ark., Ill., Ind., Alta., B.C., Man., Ont., Que., Sask., Md., Ohio, Utah, Mo., Mont., Ky., Oreg.

Discussion

Vulpia octoflora, a widespread native species, tends to be displaced by the introduced Bromus tectorum in the Pacific Northwest. It grows in grasslands, sagebrush, and open woodlands, as well as in disturbed habitats and areas of secondary succession, such as old fields, roadsides, and ditches. Three varieties are recognized here, but their characterization is not completely satisfactory, e.g., plants of the southwestern United States with spikelets in the size range of var. glauca often have densely pubescent lemmas, the distinguishing characteristic of var. birtella.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Spikelets usually 4-6.5 mm long; awn of the lowermost lemma in each spikelet 0.3-3 mm long Vulpia octoflora var. glauca
1 Spikelets usually 5.5-13 mm long; awn of the lowermost lemma in each spikelet 2.5-9 mm long. > 2
2 Lemmas scabrous to pubescent Vulpia octoflora var. hirtella
2 Lemmas usually smooth, sometimes scabridulous distally and on the margins Vulpia octoflora var. octoflora

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Vulpia octoflora"
membranous +  and scarious +
3 +  and 1 +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
bifid +  and entire +
more pubescent +
acute +  and acuminate mucronate or awned +
Robert I. Lonard +
(Walter) Rydb. +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
basal +  and terminal +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
not evident +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
rolled +  and flat +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
appressed;spreading +
spikelike +
Sixweeks fescue +
not branching +
ascending +  and erect +
pubescent +, glabrous +  and tufted +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
not woody +
Conn. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, Fla. +, S.Dak. +, Wyo. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Wis. +, Ariz. +, Colo. +, Ga. +, Iowa +, Idaho +, Mich. +, Miss. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, Pa. +, Kans. +, Minn. +, N.Dak. +, Okla. +, Mass. +, Maine +, N.H. +, R.I. +, Vt. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, La. +, Tenn. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Va. +, Calif. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Md. +, Ohio +, Utah +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Ky. +  and Oreg. +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
5 +  and 11 +
sterile +  and bisexual +
compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
subulate +  and lanceolate +
unequal +
uncinate +
pubescent +, scabrous +  and smooth +
lanceolate +
0.27 cm2.7 mm <br />0.0027 m <br /> (0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br />) +
membranous +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
1/2 +  and 2/3 +
0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
hairy +  and glabrous +
well-developed +
2-keeled +
1cm +  and 7cm +
spikelike +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
1 +  and 60 +
compressed +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Festuca octoflora +
Vulpia octoflora +
species +
membranous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (?) +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.72 cm7.2 mm <br />0.0072 m <br />) +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
perennial +  and annual +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +