Hilaria belangeri

Plants perennial; cespitose, usually stoloniferous. Culms 5-35 cm, erect; nodes villous. Sheaths striate, glabrous; ligules 1-3 mm, often lacerate; blades 3-15 cm long, 1-3.5 mm wide, adaxial surfaces sparsely pilose, hairs papillose-based, margins sparsely pilose basally, with similar hairs. Panicles 2-4 cm; fascicles 5-8 mm. Lateral spikelets with 2(3) staminate florets, or 1 sterile floret; glumes unequal, thick, indurate, and conspicuously fused basally, thinner distally, asymmetrically lobed, scabrous, pale to purplish, bases sometimes spotted with a few dark glands, margins wide, hyaline, awns 1 or more, attached below midlength, equaling or exceeding the central spikelets, antrorsely scabrous; lower glumes wider, more deeply lobed, with longer awn(s) than the upper glumes; anthers 3, 3-3.7 mm. Central spikelets as long as or longer than the lateral spikelets, with 1 pistillate floret; glumes terminating in 1 or more antrorsely scabrous awns. 2n = 36, 72, 74.

Distribution

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• Legacy Map

Ariz., N.Mex., Tex.

Discussion

Both varieties of Hilaria belangeri are found on mesas and plains within the regions indicated.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Hilaria belangeri var. belangeri, Hilaria belangeri var. longifolia

Key

1	Plants stoloniferous; blades 3-10 cm long, 1-2 mm wide; ligules about 1-1.5 mm long	Hilaria belangeri var. belangeri
1	Plants not stoloniferous; blades 3-15 cm long, to 3.5 mm vide; ligules 2.5-3 mm long	Hilaria belangeri var. longifolia