Polypogon interruptus

FNA 2007, Cronquist et al. 1977, Gould 1980

Common Name: ditch rabbitsfoot grass Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Graminoid General: Tufted perennial decumbent at base, rooting at nodes, stems 20-80 cm. Vegetative: Sheaths smooth to scaberulous, blades 5-9 cm long, 3-6 mm wide, broad, flat and scabrous; ligules 2-6 mm long, stout and narrowed to an obtuse to truncate apex, entire to lacerate-erose. Inflorescence: Panicles 3-15 cm long, 0.5-3 cm wide, usually interrupted or lobed, pedicels not developed, but branches erect; spikelets 1-flowered, glumes 2-3 mm, keeled, hispidulous, narrowed abruptly into terminal awns, sometimes minutely bilobed, awns 1.5-3 mm; lemmas 0.5-1.5 mm, glabrous, smooth and shiny, awned with awns 1-3.5 mm. Ecology: Found on moist soil or in water along streams and meadows from to 7,500 ft (2286 m); flowers May-August. Notes: Distinguished from P. monospelensis by the panicle being more lobed and interrupted with shorter awns on the glumes. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Polypogon is from Greek polys, many and pogon, beard, while interruptus means interrupted. Synonyms: Polypogon lutosus, many others, see Tropicos Editor: SBuckley, 2010