Milium effusum — millet grass
![Ligules: Milium effusum. ~ By David Fenwick. ~ Copyright © 2024 David Fenwick. ~ davidfenwicksnr[at]googlemail.com ~ www.aphotoflora.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Poaceae/milium-effusum-li-dfenwick1.jpg)
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Facts
Millet grass is native to New England, but is most frequently found in the southwestern portions of our region. It inhabits mid-elevation deciduous forests, especially where the bedrock is neutral or basic.
Habitat
Forests
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
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 8–17 mm
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet length
- 2.5–5 mm
- Glume relative length
- one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- One or more florets
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 0 mm
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf ligule length
- 3–9 mm
- Anther length
- 1.5–2 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 1.5–2 mm
- Anther number
- 3
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is hard and firm
- Glume relative length
- one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets
- Glume shape
- the glume is flat or curved in cross-section
- Glume veins
- 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
- 100–270 mm
- Inflorescence type (general)
- the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
- Inflorescence type (specific)
- the inflorescence is branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes
- Inforescence position
- the spikelets are mainly carried at the end of the stem
- Lemma awn base
- NA
- Lemma awn length
- 0 mm
- Lemma awn number
- the lemma has no awn
- Lemma cross-section
- the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint
- Lemma surface
- the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)
- Lemma tip
- the lemma tip is a simple point, with or without an awn (long narrow extension ending in a point)
- Lemma vein number
- 5
- One or more florets
- there is 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 disintegration
- the spikelet breaks off above the glumes, so that after the florets fall off, the glumes remain
- Spikelet length
- 2.5–5 mm
- Spikelet pedicel
- the spikelets have pedicels
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
- Upper glume shape
- the upper glume is widest at or below the middle
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf blade width
- 8–17 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 3–9 mm
- Leaf ligule type
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane
- Leaf sheath closed around stem
- the margins of the leaf sheath are overlapping and not fused together except in the basal half (or less)
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf sheath hairs
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- forests
-
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
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Vermont
- uncommon to fairly widespread (S-rank: S3S4)
Var. cisatlanticum
- Massachusetts
- rare (S-rank: S2), threatened (code: T)
ssp. cisatlanticum
- New Hampshire
- uncommon (S-rank: S3), W (code: W)
Subspecies and varieties
Our subspecies is Milium effusum L. ssp. cisatlanticum (Fern.) A. Haines.
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Milium effusum L. ssp. cisatlanticum (Fern.) A. Haines N
millet grass. Milium effusum L. var. cisatlanticum Fern. • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT; primarily in the western counties in southern New England. Mesic, deciduous forests, often at mid-elevations and frequently associated with circumneutral or basic bedrock.