Chloris is a widespread genus of monophyletic grasses belonging to the family Poaceae, known generally as windmill grass or finger grass.[3] The genus is found worldwide, but especially in the tropical and subtropical regions, and more often in the Southern Hemisphere.[3][4] The species are variable in morphology, but in general, the plants are less than 0.5 m in height. They bear inflorescences shaped like umbels, with several plumes lined with rows of spikelets. The genus is characterized by the series of sterile florets above the lowest fertile ones, spikes usually 4–10 in numbers (occasionally 1–2), approximated or in a slightly separated series of 10–20 spikes, rarely an indefinite numbers of terminal spikes (then usually up to 50 or rarely more, as seen in Chloris roxburghiana Schultes).[4][3] In India, 11 species are known to occur in which only two are endemic viz. Chloris wightiana Nees ex Steud. and Chloris bournei Rangachariar & Tadulingam. [4][3]
The genus was named for Chloris of Greek myth, a figure associated with flowers and spring.
species now considered better suited to other genera: Aegopogon Austrochloris Bouteloua Chondrosum Chrysochloa Ctenium Cynodon Dactyloctenium Daknopholis Disakisperma Eleusine Enteropogon Eustachys Gymnopogon Harpochloa Leptochloa Oxychloris Pseudopogonatherum Schoenefeldia Tetrapogon Trichloris
Chloris is a widespread genus of monophyletic grasses belonging to the family Poaceae, known generally as windmill grass or finger grass. The genus is found worldwide, but especially in the tropical and subtropical regions, and more often in the Southern Hemisphere. The species are variable in morphology, but in general, the plants are less than 0.5 m in height. They bear inflorescences shaped like umbels, with several plumes lined with rows of spikelets. The genus is characterized by the series of sterile florets above the lowest fertile ones, spikes usually 4–10 in numbers (occasionally 1–2), approximated or in a slightly separated series of 10–20 spikes, rarely an indefinite numbers of terminal spikes (then usually up to 50 or rarely more, as seen in Chloris roxburghiana Schultes). In India, 11 species are known to occur in which only two are endemic viz. Chloris wightiana Nees ex Steud. and Chloris bournei Rangachariar & Tadulingam.
The genus was named for Chloris of Greek myth, a figure associated with flowers and spring.
Species Chloris affinis Chloris amethystea Chloris andropogonoides - slimspike windmill grass Chloris anomala Chloris arenaria Chloris barbata - swollen fingergrass Chloris berazainiae Chloris berroi Chloris boivinii Chloris boliviensis Chloris bournei Chloris × brevispica Chloris burmensis Chloris canterae Chloris castilloniana Chloris ciliata - fringed windmill grass Chloris clementis Chloris cruciata Chloris cubensis Chloris cucullata - hooded windmill grass Chloris diluta Chloris divaricata - spreading windmill grass Chloris ekmanii Chloris elata - tall windmill grass Chloris exilis Chloris filiformis Chloris flabellata Chloris formosana Chloris gayana - Rhodes grass Chloris halophila Chloris humbertiana Chloris inflata, an agricultural weed Chloris jubaensis Chloris lamproparia Chloris lobata Chloris mearnsii Chloris mensensis Chloris montana Chloris mossambicensis Chloris orthonoton Chloris paniculata Chloris parvispicula Chloris pectinata - comb windmill grass Chloris pilosa Chloris pumilio Chloris pycnothrix - spiderweb chloris Chloris quinquesetica Chloris radiata Chloris robusta Chloris roxburghiana Chloris ruahensis Chloris rufescens Chloris sagraeana - roadside windmill grass Chloris sesquiflora Chloris subdolichostachya Chloris submutica - Mexican windmill grass Chloris suringarii Chloris texensis Chloris truncata - Australian fingergrass, black windmill grass Chloris ventricosa - Australian windmill grass, plump windmill grass Chloris verticillata - tumble windmill grass Chloris virgata - feather fingergrass Chloris wightiana Chloris woodii formerly includedspecies now considered better suited to other genera: Aegopogon Austrochloris Bouteloua Chondrosum Chrysochloa Ctenium Cynodon Dactyloctenium Daknopholis Disakisperma Eleusine Enteropogon Eustachys Gymnopogon Harpochloa Leptochloa Oxychloris Pseudopogonatherum Schoenefeldia Tetrapogon Trichloris
