Aegopogon tenellus

(DC.) Trin.
Common names: Fragile grass
Synonyms: Aegopogon tenellus var. abortivus
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 274.

Plants annual; tufted. Culms 2-30 cm, bases often prostrate or decumbent, strongly branching. Sheaths glabrous or sparsely hirsute; ligules 0.7-1.5 mm, lacerate; blades 1-7 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, glabrous or puberulent. Panicles 2-6 cm. Lateral spikelets 1.5-2.3 mm, on 1-1.3 mm pedicels; central spikelets 2.5-3.2 mm, on 0.3-0.6 mm pedicels. Glumes 1.3-1.8 mm, flabellate, lobes rounded, awns 0.1-0.6 mm; lemmas 2.5-3.2 mm, central awns 3-8 mm, lateral awns to 1 mm; anthers 0.5-0.8 mm. 2n = 20, 60.

Discussion

Aegopogon tenellus usually grows between 1550-2150 m in shady habitats of moist canyons, but it is sometimes found along roadsides and in other open areas. Its range extends from southern Arizona into northern South America. In some plants, the lateral spikelets are reduced (Aegopogon tenellus var. abortivus (E. Fourn.) Beetle), but such spikelets (and central spikelets with reduced awns) are also found in plants with normal spikelets, so taxonomic recognition is not warranted.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Aegopogon tenellus"
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
Mary E. Barkworth +
(DC.) Trin. +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
multiple +, , +  and single +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
not fused +
decumbent +  and prostrate +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
membranous +
not pseudopetiolate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
puberulent +  and glabrous +
usually linear +  and lanceolate occasionally ovate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
spikelike +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
2 times as large as the embryos +
triangular +  and dome--shaped +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
pedicellate +  and sessile +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br />) +
sometimes longer +
membranous +
Fragile grass +
ascending +  and erect +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
not woody +
not waisted +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
bisexual +  and fertile +
round +  and compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
flabellate +
truncate to bilobed +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
uncinate +
paniculate +  and racemose +
hollow +  and solid +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
staminate +  and pedicellate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
not absent +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br />) +
sometimes longer +
lacerate +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
membranous +
rounded +
inconspicuous +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
2-keeled +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
spikelike +
hirsute +  and glabrous +
compressed +
1 +  and 3 +
compound +  and simple +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Aegopogon tenellus var. abortivus +
Aegopogon tenellus +
Aegopogon +
species +
membranous +
7 (?) +  and 13 (?) +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +