Chloris virgata Sw.

Global description
 
Chloris virgata is an annual to shortly perennial grass, 30 to 100 cm high. The stem of the grass is glabrous, dark color at the nodes, glabrous sheath but ciliated on the internal surface of the collar; ligule is membranous and shortly ciliated. The flat linear leaves are smooth with a few bristles at the base and a scabrous margin. The inflorescence is composed of 4-16 digitate and spread racemes, silver to pink in color. The spikelets of 3 to 5 mm long have 2 to 3 flowers and 2 edges. There are long bristles on the upper third of the margin of the lemma of the first flower.
 
General habit
 
Plant tufted, erect or ascending, rooting at the lower nodes, and measures 30 to 100 cm high.
 
Underground system
 
Fasciculate fibrous roots

Culm
 
The culm of the grass is erect to ascending, cylindrical, can root at the lower nodes. The stem is glabrous but the nodes are strangled and dark.
 
Leaf
 
Simple alternate leaves. The sheath is glabrous but ciliated on the internal surface of the collar, with basal sheaths often keeled. The ligule is membranous and shortly ciliated at the top. The lamina is linear, plan, 10 to 30 cm long and 2 to 10 mm wide. It is glabrous or has stiff bristles at the base of the upper face. The margin is scabrous.
 
Inflorescence
 
Inflorescence is composed of 4 to 16 digitate and spreading racemes, 2 to 10 cm long, silver to pink in color and but then browning at maturity. Zigzag rachis, scabrous, with some sparse hairs.
 
Spikelet
 
Spikelet 3 to 5 mm long, carried by a ciliated and scabrous pedicel. It has 2 to 3 flowers and is surmounted by two edges. The spikelets are arranged in two sets along the rachis. The racheole is disarticulate above the glumes and under the sterile flowers. The glumes are unequal, membranous uninervate with scabrous keel. The lower glume is 1.5 to 2.5 mm long, acute; upper glume 2.5 to 4.5 mm long, wider, with hyaline margin, more or less bi-serrated and aristulate. The internal fertile flower has waxy lemma, 2.5 to 4.5 mm long, tri-veined, bi-serrated and extended into the sinus through a subapical scabrous edge of 5 to 15 mm long, ciliated on the margin and the keel with long hairs in the top third. Hyaline, narrow bicarinate palea. 3 stamens. Second flower with small lemma of 2 to 2.5 mm long extended, glabrous with hyaline margin, provided with a scabrous edge 5 to 12 mm long. Third Flower (if present) reduced to a mute lemma of 0.5 to 1 mm long.
 
Seed
 
Elliptical oval grain, 1.8 to 2.2 mm long, slightly trigone, brown.

Origine

Chloris virgata is native to tropical America.

Worldwide distribution
 
Chloris virgata is present in tropical areas.
 

https://www.gbif.org/species/5289624