4. Vulpia octoflora (Walter) Rydb. (sixweeks fescue)

Pl. 182 g, h; Map 741

Festuca octoflora Walter

Flowering stems 5–60 cm long, glabrous or hairy. Leaf blades 1–10 cm long, 0.5–1.0 mm wide, glabrous or hairy on the upper surface. Inflorescences 2–20 cm long. Spikelets 4–10 mm long (excluding the awns), with 5–15 relatively densely spaced florets, the rachilla 0.5–0.8 mm long between the attachment points of the florets. Lower glume 1.5–4.5 mm long, 2/3–3/4 as long as the upper glume. Upper glume 2.5–6.5 mm long. Lemmas with the body 2.5–6.5 mm long, glabrous or roughened, the tip awnless or more commonly with an awn 0.5–9.0 mm long. Anthers 1.3–1.5 mm long. Fruits 1.7–3.5 mm long. 2n=14. April–June.

Common to scattered throughout Missouri (nearly throughout the U.S. and adjacent Canada and Mexico; introduced in South America, Europe, and Asia). Dry upland forests, glades, and prairies, usually on acidic substrates; also pastures, fallow fields, mine spoils, roadsides, railroads, and open, dry, disturbed areas.

In Missouri, most plants can be separated into one of two overlapping varieties. In the western United States, plants with hairy lemmas have been called var. hirtella (Piper) Henrard, but this variety has not been found east of Texas.