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- Poaceae Group 4
- Vulpia
- Vulpia octoflora
Vulpia octoflora — eight-flowered six-weeks grass
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Facts
Vulpia octoflora is a native, annual grass that is native to much of the United States and adjacent Canada. It is a species of open, upland areas.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), cliffs, balds, or ledges, meadows and fields, ridges or ledges
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.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 0.5–1 mm
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet length
- 4–10 mm
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Awn on glume
-
- the glume has an awn
- the glume has no awn
- One or more florets
- there is more than one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 0.3–3 mm
- Leaf sheath hair type
-
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf ligule length
- 0.3–1 mm
- Anther length
- 0.3–1.5 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 0.3–1.5 mm
- Anther number
- 1
- Awn on glume
-
- the glume has an awn
- the glume has no awn
- Bristles below spikelets
- no
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is thin and flexible
- Floret number
- 5–13
- Glume awn length
- At least 0 mm
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Glume shape
- the glume is flat or curved in cross-section
- Glume veins
-
- 1
- 3
- Glumes per spikelet
- 2
- 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 branches coming off the lowest stem node
- 1–2
- Inflorescence crowding
-
- the panicle is somewhat to very congested (crowded), and the branches may not be clearly seen without close inspection
- the panicle is somewhat to very spread out, with clearly-evident branches
- Inflorescence length
- 10–200 mm
- Inflorescence length to width ratio
- 2–13.3
- 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
- Inflorescence width
- 5–15 mm
- Inforescence position
- the spikelets are mainly carried at the end of the stem
- Lemma awn base
- the awn is attached right at the tip of the lemma
- Lemma awn coiled
- the lemma awn is straight or twisted, but not coiled one half turn
- Lemma awn length
- 0.3–3 mm
- Lemma awn number
- the lemma has one awn on it
- Lemma awn orientation
- the awn of the lemma is straight
- Lemma cross-section
- the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint
- Lemma hairs
-
- the lemma has fine hairs between the veins
- the lemma is hairless between the veins
- Lemma keel hairs
- NA
- Lemma marginal vein hairs
-
- the marginal vein of the lemma has fine hairs on it
- the marginal vein of the lemma is hairless
- 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 tip shape
- the lemma tip tapers to a long narrow point (it may or may not also have an awn or teeth at the tip)
- Lemma vein number
- 5
- Lemma vein orientation
- the veins on the lemma come together near the tip
- Lower glume length
- 1.7–4.5 mm
- Lower glume relative length
- the lower glume is one third to three quarters as long as the upper glume
- 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
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- 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
- 4–10 mm
- Spikelet number per node
- Up to 0
- Spikelet pedicel
- the spikelets have pedicels
- Spikelet shape
- the spikelets are oblong (rectangular, but with rounded ends) in profile
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
- Tip of glume
- the tip of the glume is not divided (though it may have an awn on it)
- Upper glume length
- 2.5–7.2 mm
- Upper glume relative length
- the upper glume is more than one half as long as the lowest lemma
- Upper glume shape
-
- the upper glume is widest above the middle
- the upper glume is widest at or below the middle
-
Fruits or seeds
- Groove on seed
- the caryopsis has a groove running most of its length
- Seed length
- 1.7–3.7 mm
-
Growth form
- Horizontal rooting stem
- no
- Lifespan
- the plant lives only a single year or less
- Rhizomes
- no
- Roots
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf basal lobe hairy
- NA
- Leaf blade cross-section
-
- the leaf blade is clearly folded or rolled inwards
- the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section, or slightly folded or rolled inwards
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- the leaf blade is hairless, but it may have tiny prickles that give it a sand-papery feel
- the leaf blade is hairy
- Leaf blade length
- Up to 10 cm
- Leaf blade width
- 0.5–1 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 0.3–1 mm
- Leaf ligule type
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane
- Leaf margin glands
- there are no glands along the edges of the leaf blade
- 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 hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases
- 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
- Orientation of topmost leaf
- the flag leaf is held upright, or at less than a 45 degree angle out from the stem
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- ridges or ledges
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Hairs at nodes
-
- the stem nodes are hairless or they have very sparse hairs
- the stem nodes have hairs that stand out at a shallow angle, or they curve downwards
- Plant height
- 5–60 cm
- Stem hairs
-
- the stem has hairs on it
- the stem is nearly to completely hairless
- Stem orientation
-
- the stems are upright
- the stems trail at the base, but turn upwards at the tips
- 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
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Vermont
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
var. tenella
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4S5)
- New Hampshire
- historical (S-rank: SH), endangered (code: E)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
3. Vulpia octoflora (Walt.) Rydb. N
eight-flowered six-weeks grass. 3a. Festuca octoflora Walt. var. glauca (Nutt.) Fern.; F. octoflora Walt. var. tenella (Willd.) Fern.; F. tenella Willd.; F. tenella Willd. var. glauca Nutt.; Vulpia octoflora (Walt.) Rydb. var. glauca (Nutt.) Fern.; 3b. Festuca octoflora Walt. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Sandy roadsides, edges of parking lots, and fields, open ledges.
1a. Spikelets 4–5.5 mm long; awn of lowest lemma 2.5–6 (–9) mm long … 3a. V. octoflora var. tenella (Willd.) Fern.
1b. Spikelets 5.5–10 mm long; awn of lowest lemma 0.3–3 mm long … 3b. V. octoflora var. octoflora
Variety tenella is known from CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Variety octoflora is known only from CT. Some populations of Vulpia octoflora may be introductions. However, this is hard to assess given the species’ affinity to sites with a history of human disturbance.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Vulpia myuros:
- lower glume 0.5–2.5 mm long, mostly 25–33% as long as the upper glume, and awn of lowest lemma 7.5–22 mm long (vs. V. octoflora, with lower glume 1.7–4.5 mm long, 50–66% as long as the upper glume, and awn of lowest lemma 0.3–9 mm long).
- Vulpia bromoides:
- spikelets with 4–7 loose florets, rachilla internodes ca. 1 mm long, and awn of lowest lemma mostly 9–12 mm long (vs. V. octoflora, with spikelets with 5–13 close florets, rachilla internodes mostly 0.5–0.7 mm long, and awn of lowest lemma mostly 0.3–6 (–9) mm long).
Synonyms
- Festuca octoflora Walt. var. glauca (Nutt.) Fern.
- Festuca octoflora Walt. var. tenella (Willd.) Fern.
- Festuca tenella Willd.
- Festuca tenella Willd. var. glauca Nutt.
- Vulpia octoflora (Walt.) Rydb. var. glauca (Nutt.) Fern.