Pleuropogon californicus
Encyclopedia
Pleuropogon californicus is a species of grass
known by the common name annual semaphoregrass. It is endemic to northern California
, where it grows in moist woodland and forest habitat, including redwood forests and nearby wetland
s.
It is an annual or perennial bunch grass growing decumbent or erect in clumps of stems up to nearly a meter in maximum height. The inflorescence
bears widely spaced narrowly cylindrical spikelets which hang sideways off the stem, resembling semaphore signals
. Each spikelet may be up to 5 centimeters long and may contain 20 flowers.
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
known by the common name annual semaphoregrass. It is endemic to northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in moist woodland and forest habitat, including redwood forests and nearby wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s.
It is an annual or perennial bunch grass growing decumbent or erect in clumps of stems up to nearly a meter in maximum height. The inflorescence
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. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears widely spaced narrowly cylindrical spikelets which hang sideways off the stem, resembling semaphore signals
Flag semaphore
Semaphore Flags is the system for conveying information at a distance by means of visual signals with hand-held flags, rods, disks, paddles, or occasionally bare or gloved hands. Information is encoded by the position of the flags; it is read when the flag is in a fixed position...
. Each spikelet may be up to 5 centimeters long and may contain 20 flowers.