''Chloris'' is a widespread genus of monophyletic grasses belonging to the family
Poaceae
Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...
, known generally as windmill grass or finger grass.
The genus is found worldwide, but especially in the tropical and subtropical regions, and more often in the Southern Hemisphere.
The species are variable in morphology, but in general, the plants are less than 0.5 m in height. They bear
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
s shaped like
umbel
In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...
s, with several plumes lined with rows of
spikelets
A spikelet, in botany, describes the typical arrangement of the flowers of grasses, sedges and some other Monocots.
Each spikelet has one or more florets. The spikelets are further grouped into panicles or spikes. The part of the spikelet that ...
. The genus is characterized by the series of sterile florets above the lowest fertile ones, spikes usually 4–10 in numbers (occasionally 1–2), approximated or in a slightly separated series of 10–20 spikes, rarely an indefinite numbers of terminal spikes (then usually up to 50 or rarely more, as seen in ''Chloris roxburghiana'' Schultes).
In India, 11 species are known to occur in which only two are endemic viz. ''Chloris wightiana'' Nees ex Steud. and ''Chloris bournei'' Rangachariar & Tadulingam.
The genus was named for
Chloris
In Greek mythology, the name Chloris (; Greek Χλωρίς ''Chlōrís'', from χλωρός ''chlōrós'', meaning "greenish-yellow", "pale green", "pale", "pallid", or "fresh") appears in a variety of contexts. Some clearly refer to different char ...
of Greek myth, a figure associated with flowers and spring.
; Species
[Biota of North America Program 2013 cocunty distribution maps]
/ref>
; formerly included[
species now considered better suited to other genera: '']Aegopogon
''Aegopogon'' is a genus of New World plants in the grass family.
; Species
* '' Aegopogon bryophilus'' Döll - Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil (Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro), Argentina ( Tucumán, Salta, Jujuy)
* '' Aegop ...
Austrochloris
''Austrochloris'' is a genus of Australian plants in the grass family. The only known species is ''Austrochloris dichanthioides'', found only in the State of Queensland.Lazarides, Michael 1972. A revision of Australian Chlorideae (Gramineae). Au ...
Bouteloua
''Bouteloua'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. Members of the genus are commonly known as grama grass.
Taxonomy and systematics
The genus was named for Claudio and Esteban Boutelou, 19th-century Spanish botanists. David Griffiths ...
Chondrosum Chrysochloa Ctenium
''Ctenium'' is a genus of African and American plants in the grass family.
; Species
; formerly included
see ''Dactyloctenium Enteropogon Tetrapogon''
* ''Ctenium digitatum - Enteropogon dolichostachyus''
* ''Ctenium indicum - Tetrapogon ...
Cynodon
''Cynodon'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. It is native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Old World, as well as being cultivated and naturalized in the New World and on many oceanic islands.
The genus name comes from Gre ...
Dactyloctenium
''Dactyloctenium'' is a genus of Asian, African, and Australian plants in the grass family. There are about 13 species in the genus in the world, in which 3 are known to occur in India. A common name for the plants is crowfoot grasses.
;Specie ...
Daknopholis Disakisperma
''Disakisperma'' is a genus of plants in the grass family, native to North and South America, Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula.
; Species
* ''Disakisperma dubium'' (Kunth) P.M.Peterson & N.Snow - Mexico, Honduras, South America (Bolivia, Brazil ...
Eleusine
''Eleusine'' is a genus of Asian, African, and South American plants in the grass family,[Enteropogon
''Enteropogon'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical plants in the grass family. It is widespread across many parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, the Americas, and various islands.][Eustachys
''Eustachys'' (fan grass or fingergrass) is a genus of tropical and subtropical plants in the Poaceae, grass family. It is native primarily to warmer parts of the Americas, with a few species in Africa and Asia.
Species
Species include:
* ''Eu ...]
Gymnopogon Harpochloa
''Harpochloa'' is a genus of African plants in the grass family, common name caterpillar grass.
SpeciesGibbs Russell, G. E., W. G. M. Welman, E. Retief, K. L. Immelman, G. Germishuizen, B. J. Pienaar, M. Van Wyk & A. Nicholas. 1987. List of spe ...
Leptochloa
''Leptochloa'' is a widespread genus of Asian, African, Australian, and American plants in the grass family.
Members of the genus are commonly known as sprangletops.
The generic name is derived from the Greek words ληπτος (''leptos''), me ...
Oxychloris Pseudopogonatherum
''Pseudopogonatherum'' is a genus of Asian and Australian plants in the grass family .
; Species
* ''Pseudopogonatherum contortum'' (Brongn.) A.Camus - China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia
* ''Pseudopogonatherum filifolium'' (S.L.Chen) H.Y ...
Schoenefeldia
''Schoenefeldia'' is a genus of Asian and African plants in the grass family.
; Species
* '' Schoenefeldia gracilis'' Kunth - Sahara and Sahel from Cape Verde + Algeria to Ethiopia; Saudi Arabia, Yemen, India, Pakistan
* '' Schoenefeldia tra ...
Tetrapogon Trichloris
''Trichloris'' is a genus of New World plants in the grass family.
; Species
* ''Trichloris crinita'' (Lag.) Parodi - United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas), northern Mexico (Baja California Sur, Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, San Lu ...
''
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment
USDA Plants Profile
Grass Manual Treatment
Poaceae genera
Grasses of North America
Taxa named by Olof Swartz
{{Chloridoideae-stub