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Nassella cernua

(Stebbins & Love) Barkworth (1990)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Genus: Nassella

needlegrass

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennials.

Stems: Culms erect, forming large, dense clumps, usually 6–9 dm tall.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades glaucous, cauline, 1.2–2.4 mm wide, flat to involute. Upper surfaces evenly pilose; lower surfaces sparsely pilose or glabrous. Margins entire. Veins parallel. Sheaths glabrous, margins overlapping, membranous; ligule membranous, ca. 2 mm long, margins entire to erose, apex unevenly rounded. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in panicles 30–50 cm long or longer, branches numerous, flexuous, ascending or spreading, partially or fully exserted from the subtending sheath. Glumes membranous, linear to lanceolate glabrous, apex acuminate, first glume 12– 19 mm long, 3–nerved, second glume ca. 11 mm long, 3–nerved; lemma chartaceous, 5– 10 mm long, papillose, pilose in lower part and on the nerves, awn 60–110 mm long, twice geniculate, the terminal segment flexuous, scabrous or basally short–pubescent; palea membranous, ovate, 1–1.5 mm long, glabrous, nerveless, apex rounded. Ovary superior.

Fruit: Caryopsis pale brown; cylindrical; trigonous; ca. 4 mm long.

Ploidy: 2n = 70

Habitat: Naturalized in subalpine woodland and shrubland.

Elevation Range: 1,830–2,140 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Wind
Other Animals

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Taxon 39: 609 (1990)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1599 (H [as Stipa cernua]); Barkworth 1990:609/Snow 2008:39 (Syn. S. cernua = N. cernua)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Nassella cernua Pohakuloa, Saddle Rd., between 30 and 45 mile marker, with 60' of road Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. 3 Hawaii BISH 1990-12-13
2 Nassella cernua Pohakaloa Military Camp; Mauna Kea. 1979 burn area Preserved_Specimen Adee, K.T. Hawaii BISH
3 Nassella cernua Puu Omaokoili, near Pohokuloa Preserved_Specimen Kosaka, E. 15 Hawaii BISH 1962-04-03
4 Nassella cernua Mauna Kea, above Saddle Road, near Humuula Preserved_Specimen Christ, J.H. Hawaii BISH 1957-01-01
5 Nassella cernua Hamakua District; Pohakuloa Training Area; along the Saddle Road. Collected between the 30 & 45 mile markers; within 60 ft of the road Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. Hawaii BISH 1990-12-13
6 Nassella cernua Beginning of Hale Pohaku Road; Mauna Kea Preserved_Specimen Adee, K.T. Hawaii BISH 1991-07-31
7 Nassella cernua Pohakuloa-Mauna Kea State Park, along Saddle Road Common, in dry Sophora-Myoporum association. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 396 Hawaii BISH 1967-03-29
8 Nassella cernua Mauna Kea, near Mauna Kea State Recreation Area Dry, subalpine scrub, weedy areas near Saddle Road Preserved_Specimen Abundant Faccenda, K. 2298 Hawaii BISH 2022-03-04
9 Nassella cernua Pohakuloa In bare exposed areas; dry Sophora, Myoporum & Chenopodium association. Preserved_Specimen Perennial grass, to 3 ft. tall, with panicle with flexuous branches. Forming large tufts. Herbst, D.R. 929 Hawaii BISH 1968-02-18
10 Nassella cernua Pohakuloa In bare exposed areas; dry Sophora, Myoporum & Chenopodium association. Preserved_Specimen Perennial grass, to 3 ft. tall, with panicle with flexuous branches. Forming large tufts. Herbst, D.R. 929 Hawaii BISH 1968-02-18
11 Nassella cernua Hale Pohaku, Mauna Kea, Hamakua District Growing with Deschampsia australis and Trisetum glomeratum in open mamane parkland. Preserved_Specimen Bunchgrass, about 1.5 ft tall. Cuddihy, L.W. 886 Hawaii BISH 1981-10-06
12 Nassella cernua Mauna Kea, Hale Pohaku Preserved_Specimen Occasional, scattered and spreading, found in forest reserve section dry region. Hosaka, E.Y. 4054 Hawaii BISH 1960-05-20
13 Nassella cernua Pohakuloa State Park Growing in cinders along roadway. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 4217 Hawaii BISH 2005-08-12
14 Nassella cernua 0.4 mi SSE of Mauna Kea State Park on West side of Saddle Rd Open Myoporum-Sophora woodland with numerous exotic herbaceous species and the natives Chenopodium oahuense & Dodonaea sp. Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 4696 Hawaii BISH 1982-11-18
15 Nassella cernua Pohakuloa In bare exposed areas; dry Sophora, Myoporum & Chenopodium association. Preserved_Specimen Perennial grass, to 3 ft. tall, with panicle with flexuous branches. Forming large tufts. Herbst, D.R. 929 Hawaii BISH 1968-02-18
16 Nassella cernua Pohakuloa-Mauna Kea State Park, along Saddle Road Common, in dry Sophora-Myoporum association. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 396 Hawaii BISH 1967-03-29
17 Nassella cernua Pohakuloa. Saddle Road (Hwy.) ca. 0.25 mile S of Pohakuloa Camp Common in fine soil under Sophora & Myoporum trees. With #3821 (Tagetes minuta). Preserved_Specimen Lamoureux, C.H. 3822 Hawaii BISH 1967-03-24
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