Vulpia sciurea

(Nutt.) Henrard
Common names: Squirreltail fescue
Synonyms: Vulpia elliotea Festuca sciurea
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 450.

Culms 15-50 (60) cm, solitary or tufted, erect or drooping at maturity. Sheaths glabrous; ligules 0.5-1 mm; blades usually shorter than 10 cm, 0.5-1 mm wide, flat or rolled, glabrous. Panicles 5-20 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide, with 1-2 branches per node; branches appressed to erect. Spikelets 3.5-5.2 mm, with 3-6 florets; rachilla internodes 0.25-0.9 mm. Lower glumes 1.5-2.5 mm, about 2/3 the length of the upper glumes; upper glumes 2.5-4 mm; lemmas 2.5-3.5 mm, 3-veined, evidently pubescent distally, glabrous or sparsely pubescent proximally, awns 4.5-10 mm; paleas subequal or equal to the lemmas; anthers about 0.5 mm. Caryopses 1.5-2.5 mm. 2n = 42.

Discussion

Vulpia sciurea, our most distinctive native species, is restricted to the Flora region. It can be recognized by its small spikelets and apically pubescent lemmas, and grows mostly in deep, sandy soils of open woodlands, old fields, roadside ditches, and sand hills in the southeastern Flora region. It is listed as endangered in New Jersey.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Vulpia sciurea"
membranous +  and scarious +
3 +  and 1 +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +
acute +  and acuminate mucronate or awned +
Robert I. Lonard +
(Nutt.) Henrard +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
basal +  and terminal +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
not evident +
rolled +  and flat +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (?) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
appressed;erect +
spikelike +
Squirreltail fescue +
not branching +
tufted +  and solitary +
drooping +  and erect +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
not woody +
Conn. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, Fla. +, S.Dak. +, Wyo. +, Wash. +, Ariz. +, Colo. +, Ga. +, Iowa +, Idaho +, Maine +, Mich. +, Miss. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, Okla. +, Pa. +, S.C. +, Wis. +, W.Va. +, Del. +, D.C +, Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +, Kans. +, Minn. +, N.Dak. +, Mass. +, N.H. +, R.I. +, Vt. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, La. +, Oreg. +, N.C. +, Tenn. +, Calif. +, Puerto Rico +, Alaska +, Ala. +, Va. +, Ark. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Md. +, Ohio +, Utah +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Ky. +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.W.T. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +  and Yukon +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
3 +  and 6 +
sterile +  and bisexual +
compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
subulate +  and lanceolate +
unequal +
uncinate +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
lanceolate +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
membranous +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
hairy +  and glabrous +
well-developed +
usually slightly shorter +
2-keeled +
subequal +
5cm +  and 20cm +
spikelike +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
1 +  and 60 +
compressed +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.52 cm5.2 mm <br />0.0052 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Vulpia elliotea +  and Festuca sciurea +
Vulpia sciurea +
species +
membranous +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
perennial +  and annual +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +