Hard-grasses

Curved Hard-grass Rigid Fern-grass Curved Hard-grass Sea Fern-grass



Grasses - Poaceae

Curved Hard-grass      Parapholis incurva

Native from Macaronesia and Atlantic coasts of Europe, through the Mediterranean Region to Pakistan. Plants 2-20cm in height, either solitary or in loose clusters. Leaves green, hairless, pointed at the tip, 1-2mm wide, flat or sometimes inrolled, upper sheaths inflated. Leaf ligule membranous, 1.8-3mm long. Flower spike a narrow, stiff and slightly to strongly curved, extension of the stem, 1-8cm in length. Spikelets 4-6mm, single-flowered and embedded in the stem, alternating from side to side. Glumes 4-6mm, stiff, pointed at the tip and neatly fitting over the hollow in the stem. Anthers 0.5-1.5mm long.

Curved Hard-grass Curved Hard-grass Curved Hard-grass
Habit
Habit
Flower spikes
Curved Hard-grass Curved Hard-grass
Flower spike
Spikelets


Rigid Fern-grass      Catapodium rigidum

Native from Macaronesia and Western Europe, through the Mediterranean Region to Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Plants 2-30cm in height, typically forming tight tussocks or solitary shoots in small colonies. Plants green, or becoming reddish in very dry and sunny places. Leaf blades 0.5-3.5mm wide, hairless, minutely rough on the veins. Leaf sheaths rounded and smooth. Ligule membranous, very short, 1-3mm long. Flower spike stiffly upright, 1-8cm long. Spikelets 4.5-7mm with 3-10 florets, tightly clustered along side branches of the flower spike. Lemmas narrowly obtuse at apex overlapping at first, later becoming more open.

Rigid Fern-grass Rigid Fern-grass Rigid Fern-grass Rigid Fern-grass
Habit
Habit
Early flower spikes
Early flower spike
Rigid Fern-grass Rigid Fern-grass Rigid Fern-grass Rigid Fern-grass
Early spikelets
Flowering spikelets
Flowering spikelets
Leaf ligule


Sea Fern-grass      Catapodium marinum

Native to coastal areas of Macaronesia, Western Europe and the Mediterranean Region. Plants 3-20cm in height, typically forming small tussocks or solitary shoots. Plants green, or becoming reddish in very dry and sunny places. Leaf blades 1-3.5mm wide, hairless, minutely rough on the veins. Leaf sheaths rounded and smooth. Ligule membranous, very short, 0.5-3mm long. Flower spike stiffly upright, 0.5-7cm long. Spikelets 4-9mm with 4-12 florets, arranged in two rows on one side of the main stem, thus producing a 'one-sided' appearance. Lemmas elliptical, overlapping at first, later becoming more open.

Sea Fern-grass Sea Fern-grass Sea Fern-grass
Habit
Early flower spike
Early spikelets
Sea Fern-grass Sea Fern-grass
Early spikelets
Bsack of flower spike