Pleuropogon hooverianus
Pleuropogon californicus
Hoover's semaphoregrass, north coast semaphore grass
annual semaphoregrass, California semaphoregrass, semaphore grass
1-1.6 m, erect.
15-95 cm, erect or geniculate at the base, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes;
nodes 3-6.
glabrous, retrorsely scabridulous;
ligules 3-6.5 mm;
blades 3-30 cm long, 4-10 mm wide, apices acute to acuminate, mucronate, flag leaves often with reduced spinose blades.
glabrous;
ligules 2-6 mm;
blades 3-29 cm long, 3-8 mm wide, adaxial surfaces slightly scabridulous.
21-33 cm, with 7-10 spikelets;
internodes 1.8-8 cm;
pedicels 1.5-5 mm, erect or ascending, rarely reflexed.
8-35 cm, with 6-13 spikelets;
internodes 1-6 cm;
pedicels 1-5.5(9) mm, ascending to spreading.
28-42 mm, erect or ascending, with 9-16 florets, usually all but the terminal floret bisexual.
15-60 mm, ascending to spreading, with 7-20(30) florets, lower florets bisexual, upper florets pistillate, terminal florets sterile.
lanceolate to broadly ovate;
lower glumes 1-4.5 mm;
upper glumes 2-6.5 mm, 1-3-veined;
rachilla internodes 1-2.8 mm long, 0.2-0.5 mm thick, with a glandular swelling at the base;
lemmas 4.5-7.5 mm, 7(9)-veined, veins distinct, often prominent, apices truncate or emarginate, unawned or awned, awns to 11 mm;
paleal keels scabridulous, each with a 0.5-2.5 mm triangular, winglike appendage, often denticulate beyond the appendage;
anthers 2.5-4 mm.
3.5-4 mm.
2.5-3.1 mm.
glumes 3-5.6 mm;
upper glumes 4.5-7.2 mm, 1-3-veined;
rachilla internodes 2-3 mm long, about 0.4 mm thick, basal 1/2 developing into a glandular swelling;
lemmas 8-9 mm, 7-veined, lateral veins strongly ribbed, apices toothed, usually rounded, rarely acute or erose, awned, awns 0.2-4 mm;
paleal keels unawned, each with a 0.6-1.5 mm triangular appendage;
anthers 4-4.8 mm.
=16, 36.
Pleuropogon hooverianus
Pleuropogon californicus
Pleuropogon hooverianus grows in wet and marshy areas, usually in shady locations. Several of the populations are around redwood groves. It is known only from Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin counties in California. It is listed as rare by the state of California.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Plants annual or facultative perennials; lemmas usually with awns 5-11 mm long, rarely unawned; paleal appendages 0.5-2.5 mm long; spikelets 15-30 mm long | var. californicus |
1. Plants perennial; lemmas unawned, sometimes mucronate, mucros to 1.5 mm long; paleal appendages 0.5-1 mm long; spikelets 25-60 mm long | var. davyi |
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
