Chloris texensis is a species of grass known by the common name Texas windmill grass. It is endemic to Texas in the United States, where it occurs on the coastal prairies.[1]

Chloris texensis

Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Chloris
Species:
C. texensis
Binomial name
Chloris texensis
Nash

This perennial grass forms clumps of stems up to 30 to 45 centimeters tall. The leaf blades are up to 15 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a panicle with several long, spreading branches arranged in a whorl. Each branch is up to 20 centimeters long and has 3 to 4 spikelets per centimeter along the distal part.[2] Flowering occurs in October and November.[3]

This plant grows on sparsely vegetated stretches of coastal prairie, often at mima mounds. Other plants located around these mounds include Hymenoxys texana, Thurovia triflora, and Rayjacksonia aurea.[3] It may also be associated with the rare Machaeranthera aurea.[1]

This plant is threatened with the loss of its habitat due to development, especially in the Houston area.[1][3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Chloris texensis. The Nature Conservancy.
  2. ^ Chloris texensis. Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Grass Manual Treatment.
  3. ^ a b c Chloris texensis. Archived 2011-10-26 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.

External links edit