Chloris virgata — feather windmill-grass
![Inflorescences: Chloris virgata. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Poaceae/chloris-virgata-in-efarnsworth.jpg)
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Facts
Feather windmill-grass is a weedy species with a worldwide distribution and uncertain origins, although it may be native to southern North and Central America. It is found in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate habitats, and is associated with disturbance and roadsides in North America. It rarely enters New England, having been collected only in the waste dumps of nineteenth-century wool-carding factories in Massachusetts and Maine.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Leaf blade width
- 3–15 mm
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet length
- 2.5–4.5 mm
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- One or more florets
- there is more than one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 2.5–15 mm
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf ligule length
- Up to 4 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther number
- 3
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is thin and flexible
- Floret number
- 2–3
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Glume veins
-
- 1
- 3
- Inflorescence arrangement
- the spikelets are uniform
- Inflorescence axis orientation
-
- the inflorescence axis is arched or curved outward
- the inflorescence axis is straight
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Inflorescence length
- Up to 100 mm
- Inflorescence type (general)
- the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
- Inflorescence type (specific)
- the inflorescence is branched and the branches all grow from the same side of the plant and look like spikes
- Lemma awn base
- the awn is attached right at the tip of the lemma
- Lemma awn length
- 2.5–15 mm
- Lemma awn number
- the lemma has one awn on it
- Lemma base hairs
- the lemma has hairs at the base
- Lemma cross-section
- the lemma is V-shaped if you cut across the midpoint
- Lemma marginal vein hairs
- the marginal vein of the lemma has fine hairs on it
- Lemma surface
- the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)
- Lemma vein number
-
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7 or more
- One or more florets
- there is more than one floret per spikelet
- Palea relative length
- palea is one half to fully as long as lemma
- Spikelet axis tip
- there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
- Spikelet length
- 2.5–4.5 mm
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
-
Growth form
- Horizontal rooting stem
-
- no
- yes
- Lifespan
- the plant lives only a single year or less
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf blade width
- 3–15 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- Up to 4 mm
- Leaf ligule type
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane with fine hairs
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf sheath hairs
-
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Stem spacing
-
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
- the stems grow singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
4. Chloris virgata Sw. E
Feather windmill-grass. MA, ME. Wool waste.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Chloris cucullata:
- second lemma of spikelet pointed at apex, not widened distally, and plants with stolons (vs. C. virgata, with second lemma of spikelet +/- truncate at the apex, sometimes widely distally, and plants lacking stolons (vs. C. gayana, with ).
- Chloris gayana:
- second lemma of spikelet pointed at apex, not widened distally, and plants with stolons (vs. C. virgata, with second lemma of spikelet +/- truncate at the apex, sometimes widely distally, and plants usually lacking stolons).