Polypogon monspeliensis (L.) Desf.   Poaceae (Grass Family)   Europe   Rabbitfoot Grass

                                           February Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Annual; culms erect or decumbent at base, somewhat clustered 1-10 dm. long; sheaths glabrous or minutely roughened; ligules (pointed papery structure at top of leaf sheath) 5-6 mm. long; leaves scabrous, 4-15 cm. long, 2-7 mm. wide; panicle dense, spikelike, oblong, soft bristly 2-15 cm. long, 1-2 cm. wide, tawny yellow when mature; glumes hispidulous below, awn of the glume is about twice the length of the glume, awn of the lemma which is about one half the length of the glume is slightly beyond the glume. The seed is about 1 mm. long, much the shape of a kernel of wheat, amber colored and translucent, minutely roughened by horizontal lines.

Habitat:  Widely established in moist places at low elevations throughout Calif. and a majority of the states.  April-Aug.

Name:  Greek, polus, many and pogon, beard because of the bristly infl.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 995).  Latin, mons, mountain, and spelieos, cave.  (Jaeger 158,243).  John Johnson is not sure of the relationship of the name to the plant and suggests that one would have to consult Linnaeus' original descriptions to understand what he had in mind.

General:  Common in the study area.  Photographed at North Star Beach and Big Canyon. (my comments).      Due to its preference for moist soils, it often becomes an impurity in hay, reducing its sale value.  (Robbins et al. 104).      See Parapholis incurva for notes on invasion of native halophytes by introduced species.  (Zedler 38).       Polypogon species have been known to cause hay fever and asthma.  (Fuller 383).      One species, P. monspeliensis, is palatable to stock and is sometimes sufficiently abundant on low meadows to be of importance in the West.  (Hitchcock 363).     The Tubatulabal Indians of the southern Sierra Nevada region used the seeds of P. monspeliensis as food.  (Campbell 164).       About 10 species of temperate regions.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 995).

Text Ref:  Robbins et al. 104;Hickman, Ed. 1290; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 996; Robbins et al. 104.

Photo Ref:  Dec 2 82 # 18; Feb-Mar 83 # 23A, 24A; Oct-Nov 83 # 21; Feb 3 84 # 15.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by G. Marsh.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 53.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 9/18/02.

                                          December Photo