Feather finger grass (Chloris virgata, Fl. Ind. Occid. 1: 203 (1797))

Family: Poaceae

Author: Sw.

Bibliography: Fl. Ind. Occid. 1: 203 (1797)

Year: 1797

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Chloris

Vegetable: Unknown

Observations: Temp. & Subtrop. America

Description

Feather finger grass, scientifically known as Chloris virgata, is a notable member of the Poaceae family. First documented by Sw. in the publication “Fl. Ind. Occid.” in 1797, this grass species is primarily found across temperate and subtropical regions of the Americas.

This grass is easily recognized by its distinctive, feather-like fingered inflorescences, which give it its common name. Feather finger grass thrives in a variety of soil types but favors well-draining, sandy soils. It is commonly found in open fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas where it can quickly colonize.

Culturally and ecologically significant, Chloris virgata plays an important role in its native habitats. It serves as forage for livestock and provides cover for smaller wildlife. In addition to its ecological benefits, it also stabilizes soil and prevents erosion with its extensive root system.

Overall, feather finger grass is a resilient and adaptive species, contributing to the biodiversity and ecological health of the temperate and subtropical American regions where it resides.

Common Names

Heb: aseva rotmit, עשבה רותמית
Fra: chloris
Eng: feather fingergrass, feathery rhodes-grass, feather finger grass, feather windmill grass, feathered chloris, feathertop rhodes grass, feathertop grass, feathery rhodes grass, hairy rhodes grass, oldland grass, sweet grass, woolly-top rhodes grass
Deu: feder-fingergras, ruten-fingergras
Dan: smuk chloris
Afr: klossiegras
Spa: verdillo plumerito, zacate pluma
Swe: dunkvastgräs
Cym: glaswellt-rhodes affrica
En: Feather finger grass, Feather windmill grass, Feathered chloris, Feathertop Rhodes grass, Feathertop grass, Feathery Rhodes grass, Oldland grass, Sweet grass, Woolly-top Rhodes grass, Hairy Rhodes grass, Feather fingergrass, SHOWY CHLORIS, Feathery Rhodes-grass, Feathertop Rhodes-grass, Feather-top, Showy Windmill Grass, Feather windmill-grass, Klossiegras
Af: Klossiegras
Zh: 虎尾草
Cs: Prstnatka prutnatá
Da: Smuk chloris
Fi: Untuvaviuhkaheinä
Fr: Chloris
De: Feder-Fingergras, Ruten-Fingergras
He: Aseva rotmit, עשבה רותמית
Ko: 나도바랭이
Mn: Саваан булган сүүл
Es: Zacate pluma, Verdillo plumerito
Sv: Dunkvastgräs
Zh-tw: 虎尾草
Cy: Glaswellt-Rhodes Affrica

Synonyms

• Chloris pubescens (Lag.)
• Chloris penicillata ((Vahl) Pers.)
• Chloris tetrastachys (Hack. ex Hook.f.)
• Chloris alba (J.Presl)
• Chloris barbata var. decora ((Nees ex Steud.) Benth.)
• Chloris alberti (Regel)
• Chloris barbata var. meccana ((Hochst. & Steud. ex Schltdl.) Asch. & Schweinf.)
• Chloris gabrielae (Domin)
• Chloris alba var. aristulata (Torr.)
• Chloris decora (Nees ex Steud.)
• Rabdochloa virgata ((Sw.) P.Beauv.)
• Chloris rogeonii (A.Chev.)
• Chloris polydactyla subsp. multiradiata ((Hochst.) Chiov.)
• Chloris compressa (DC.)
• Cynosurus penicillatus (Vahl)
• Chloris notocoma (Hochst.)
• Chloris meccana (Hochst. & Steud. ex Schltdl.)
• Chloris madagascariensis (Steud.)
• Chloris pulchra (Schumach.)
• Chloris tibestica (Quézel)
• Eleusine penicillata ((Vahl) Spreng.)
• Chloris brachystachys (Andersson)
• Agrostomia barbata (Cerv.)
• Chloris caudata (Trin.)
• Chloris multiradiata (Hochst.)
• Chloris virgata var. elegans ((Kunth) Stapf)

Distribution

• Alabama (native)
• Argentina Northeast (native)
• Argentina Northwest (native)
• Argentina South (native)
• Arizona (native)
• Arkansas (native)
• Aruba (native)
• Bolivia (native)
• Brazil Northeast (native)
• Brazil South (native)
• California (native)
• Chile Central (native)
• Chile North (native)
• Colombia (native)
• Colorado (native)
• Cuba (native)
• Dominican Republic (native)
• Ecuador (native)
• El Salvador (native)
• Florida (native)
• Galápagos (native)
• Georgia (native)
• Guatemala (native)
• Haiti (native)
• Honduras (native)
• Illinois (native)
• Indiana (native)
• Kansas (native)
• Kentucky (native)
• Leeward Is. (native)
• Louisiana (native)
• Maine (native)
• Maryland (native)
• Masachusettes (native)
• Mexico Central (native)
• Mexico Gulf (native)
• Mexico Northeast (native)
• Mexico Northwest (native)
• Mexico Southeast (native)
• Mexico Southwest (native)
• Mississippi (native)
• Missouri (native)
• Nebraska (native)
• Netherlands Antilles (native)
• Nevada (native)
• New Mexico (native)
• New York (native)
• Nicaragua (native)
• North Carolina (native)
• North Dakota (native)
• Ohio (native)
• Oklahoma (native)
• Panamá (native)
• Paraguay (native)
• Pennsylvania (native)
• Peru (native)
• South Carolina (native)
• Tennessee (native)
• Texas (native)
• Utah (native)
• Venezuela (native)
• Windward Is. (native)
• Afghanistan (introduced)
• Algeria (introduced)
• Amur (introduced)
• Andaman Is. (introduced)
• Angola (introduced)
• Ascension (introduced)
• Bangladesh (introduced)
• Botswana (introduced)
• Burkina (introduced)
• Cameroon (introduced)
• Cape Provinces (introduced)
• Cape Verde (introduced)
• Caprivi Strip (introduced)
• Chad (introduced)
• China North-Central (introduced)
• China South-Central (introduced)
• China Southeast (introduced)
• Czechoslovakia (introduced)
• East Himalaya (introduced)
• Egypt (introduced)
• Eritrea (introduced)
• Ethiopia (introduced)
• Free State (introduced)
• Gilbert Is. (introduced)
• Gulf States (introduced)
• Hawaii (introduced)
• India (introduced)
• Inner Mongolia (introduced)
• Iran (introduced)
• Iraq (introduced)
• Japan (introduced)
• Jawa (introduced)
• Kazakhstan (introduced)
• Kenya (introduced)
• Khabarovsk (introduced)
• Korea (introduced)
• KwaZulu-Natal (introduced)
• Lebanon-Syria (introduced)
• Lesotho (introduced)
• Libya (introduced)
• Madagascar (introduced)
• Madeira (introduced)
• Malawi (introduced)
• Mali (introduced)
• Manchuria (introduced)
• Marianas (introduced)
• Marquesas (introduced)
• Mauritania (introduced)
• Mongolia (introduced)
• Morocco (introduced)
• Mozambique (introduced)
• Mozambique Channel I (introduced)
• Myanmar (introduced)
• Namibia (introduced)
• Nansei-shoto (introduced)
• Nauru (introduced)
• Nepal (introduced)
• New Caledonia (introduced)
• New Guinea (introduced)
• New South Wales (introduced)
• Niger (introduced)
• Nigeria (introduced)
• North Caucasus (introduced)
• Northern Provinces (introduced)
• Northern Territory (introduced)
• Oman (introduced)
• Pakistan (introduced)
• Palestine (introduced)
• Primorye (introduced)
• Qinghai (introduced)
• Queensland (introduced)
• Rwanda (introduced)
• Saudi Arabia (introduced)
• Seychelles (introduced)
• Society Is. (introduced)
• Socotra (introduced)
• Somalia (introduced)
• South Australia (introduced)
• St.Helena (introduced)
• Sudan (introduced)
• Swaziland (introduced)
• Tanzania (introduced)
• Tibet (introduced)
• Togo (introduced)
• Transcaucasus (introduced)
• Uganda (introduced)
• Uzbekistan (introduced)
• Victoria (introduced)
• Vietnam (introduced)
• Western Australia (introduced)
• Xinjiang (introduced)
• Yemen (introduced)
• Zambia (introduced)
• Zimbabwe (introduced)

Additional Images

Flower

Taken Feb 19, 2020 by Georg Lanzl (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 11, 2019 by Annemarie Ahrens-Stehle (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 1, 2022 by Elias Duran Gutierrez (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 10, 2019 by loor renan (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 31, 2018 by mdi (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Peter Kuttner (cc-by-nc-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Petra Ballings (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Petra Ballings (cc-by-nc)

Taken Dec 2, 1998 by EOL − Charles Webber (cc-by-nc-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Forest & Kim Starr (cc-by)

Habit

Taken Feb 27, 2020 by susan brown (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 21, 2016 by EOL − Francisco Farriols Sarabia (cc-by)

Taken Sep 11, 2015 by EOL − José Belem Hernández Díaz (cc-by-nc)

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Forest & Kim Starr (cc-by)

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Petra Ballings (cc-by-nc)

Leaf

Taken Sep 2, 2020 by ceron libertad (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 14, 2020 by Mercader Angelines (cc-by-sa)

Taken Apr 8, 2022 by Matías Bosshardt (cc-by-sa)

Taken Apr 4, 2022 by Hendrik Ndjava (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 15, 2021 by tamsicle (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Bark

Taken Aug 2, 2018 by Pascl Dew (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Petra Ballings (cc-by-nc)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5289624)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:396063-1)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Chloris virgata Sw.)

Specifications

Growth