Stems erect, spreading, or decumbent, 10–40 cm, puberulent or villous, sometimes glabrescent, hairs glandular and eglandular. Leaf blades narrowly lanceolate, 5–30 × 2–8 mm, margins entire. Spikes 2–9 cm; bracts often purple distally, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 15–30 mm, margins entire or distally 2-toothed. Flowers: calyx 15–25 mm; corolla white to pale yellow or pale pink, 15–25 mm, lobes 4–5 mm, often marked with red-brown or purple-red lines; stamens 4, proximal with 2 pollen sacs, distal pair with 1 pollen sac and 1 infertile appendage; staminodes 0. Capsules narrowly ovoid, 6–10 mm. Seeds 10–40, dark brown, ovoid to reniform, 1–3 mm, without abaxial crest.

Distribution

w United States, nw Mexico.

Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

There are intermediates between the subspecies (T. I. Chuang and L. R. Heckard 1973).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Chloropyron maritimum subsp. canescens, Chloropyron maritimum subsp. maritimum, Chloropyron maritimum subsp. palustre

Key

1	Seeds 25–40, 1–1.5 mm; galeas yellow to yellow-green.	Chloropyron maritimum subsp. canescens
1	Seeds 10–20, 1.5–3 mm; galeas purple-red, brown-red, or pink.	> 2
2	Stem branches: distal usually overtopping central spike; galeas purple-red or brown-red.	Chloropyron maritimum subsp. maritimum
2	Stem branches not overtopping central spike; galeas pink or purple-red.	Chloropyron maritimum subsp. palustre