Polypogon interruptus

Kunth
Common names: Ditch beardgrass
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 663.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Cindy Roché

Copyright: Utah State University

Plants perennial, often flowering the first-year. Culms 20-80 (90) cm, more or less decumbent. Sheaths smooth; ligules 2-6 mm, scabridulous-pubescent; blades 5-9 cm long, 3-6 mm wide. Panicles 3-15 cm long, 0.5-3 cm wide, usually interrupted or lobed; pedicels not developed; stipes 0.2-0.7 mm. Glumes 2-3 mm, subequal, scabrous, larger prickles extending up the keel beyond midlength, not tapering to the apices, apices acute to truncate, unlobed or the lobes to 0.1 mm, awned, awns 1.5-3.2 mm, those of the lower and upper glumes subequal; lemmas 0.8-1.5 mm, glabrous, smooth and shiny, apices obtuse, not emarginate, awned, awns 1-3.2 mm; paleas about 3/4 as long as the lemmas; anthers 0.5-0.7 mm. 2n = 28, 42.

Distribution

Colo., N.Mex., Tex., La., Utah, Calif., Nebr., Wis., N.Y., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Wyo., Okla., Wash., Ariz., Oreg., Nev.

Discussion

Polypogon interruptus grows in moist soil at lower elevations. It is native to the Western Hemisphere, extending south from the western United States into northern Mexico, and through the American tropics to Argentina and Bolivia. The more eastern records may indicate introductions; it is not known whether or not the species persists at these locations.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Polypogon interruptus"
membranous +  and scarious +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br />) +
awned +  and not emarginate +
obtuse +, unlobed +, acute +  and truncate +
Mary E. Barkworth +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
flexuous +
subterminal +  and terminal +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
not fused +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
not evident +
flat +  and convolute +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
spikelike +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
hairy +  and glabrous +
Ditch beardgrass +
branched +  and rooting +
erect +  and decumbent +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br />) +
not woody +
Colo. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, La. +, Utah +, Calif. +, Nebr. +, Wis. +, N.Y. +, Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +, Wyo. +, Okla. +, Wash. +, Ariz. +, Oreg. +  and Nev. +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
lanceolate +
subequal +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
uncinate +
1/6 +  and 1/4 +
interrupted +  and continuous +
cauline +  and basal +
1-3(5)-veined +
lanceolate +  and ovate +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
scabridulous-pubescent +
acute +  and broadly rounded +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
oblong-lanceolate +  and lanceolate +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
well-developed +
2-keeled +
3cm +  and 15cm +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
not prolonged +
scabridulous +  and smooth +
1 +  and 60 +
compressed +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br />) +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Gramineae +
Polypogon interruptus +
Polypogon +
species +
membranous +
parallel +  and converging +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +