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centipede grass

Habit Plants mat-forming, stoloniferous, stolons to 150 cm, often branched, with well-developed leaves, and (usually) axillary fascicles of closely imbricate leaves.
Culms

10-35 cm, unbranched.

Sheaths

mostly glabrous, margins sometimes pilose, keeled;

leaves mostly basal, blades of basal leaves 0.5-15 cm long, 1-5 mm wide, glabrous or pilose, with papillose-based hairs near the base, margins glabrous or pectinate near the base;

blades of upper leaves reduced to obsolete.

Caryopses

1.5-2 mm, purple to reddish-brown or brown.

Pedicels

2.8-3.5 mm long, about 0.5 mm wide at midlength.

Rames

1-3, 3-12 cm, straight;

internodes 2-2.3 mm.

Sessile

spikelets (2.2)3-4 mm long, (1.1)1.8-2.2 mm wide, elliptic;

calluses sparsely pubescent;

glumes glabrous;

lower glumes 5-7-veined, obtuse to truncate, often notched, keels with 1-several, 0.2-0.3 mm hooklike spines near the base, winged distally;

upper glumes 3-veined, elliptic, acute;

anthers of lower florets about 0.3 mm;

anthers of upper florets 1.5-1.7 mm.

Pedicellate

spikelets absent or to 3.4 mm, occasionally well-developed.

2n

= 18.

Eremochloa ophiuroides

Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MA; MS; NC; SC; TN; TX; VA; PR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eremochloa ophiuroides, an east Asian species, was introduced into the southeastern United States as a lawn grass about 1920. It is now established along roadsides and in woods, fallow fields, and dunes in the region. It flowers from spring to fall, and sporadically at other times. The common name refers to the appearance of the leafy stolons.

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

Source FNA vol. 25, p. 690.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Andropogoneae > Eremochloa
Sibling taxa
E. ciliaris
Name authority (Munro) Hack.
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