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spike oatgrass, spikeoat

Habit Plants cespitose, not stoloniferous.
Culms

10-75 cm, erect.

Sheaths

closed for less than 1/3 their length, smooth to scabridulous;

ligules 3-7 mm, acute, usually lacerate;

blades usually 4-20 cm long, 1-4.5 mm wide, smooth to scabridulous, margins cartilaginous and whitish.

Panicles

(4)6-11(13) cm long, usually 0.8-2.5 cm wide, erect or ascending;

branches 10-25 mm, usually straight, stiff, usually with 1-2 spikelets.

Spikelets

12-16 mm, with 3-6 florets;

rachilla internodes usually 1.5-2.5 mm, hairs 0.2-1.5 mm.

Glumes

thin, acute;

lower glumes 9-13 mm, 3-veined;

upper glumes 9-14 mm, 3-5-veined;

calluses bearded, hairs usually shorter than 1 mm;

lemmas 10-12 mm, awned, awns 10-17 mm, flattened below the bend;

paleas 6-8.75 mm;

anthers 2.5-5 mm.

2n

= 14.

Avenula hookeri

Distribution
from FNA
CO; MN; MT; ND; NM; SD; VT; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; QC; SK; YT
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Discussion

Avenula hookeri grows on mesic to dry, open prairie slopes, hillsides, forest openings, and meadows, in montane to subalpine zones, from the Yukon and Northwest Territories to northern New Mexico.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 24, p. 698.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Pooideae > tribe Poeae > Avenula
Sibling taxa
A. pubescens
Synonyms Helictotrichon hookeri
Name authority (Scribn.) Holub
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