Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Presented in Association with the
Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences

Hilaria belangeri (Steudel) Nash
(Curly Mesquite)


Family: Poaceae

Status: Native

Synonyms:
Anthephora belangeri Steudel
Hilaria texana Nash
Hilaria cenchroides Kunth

Hilaria belangeri is a grass of relatively small stature. The leaves have small hairs around the edges. The spikelets are grouped in threes, with the pistillate spikelet that forms a grain in the center, flanked by a staminate or sterile spikelet on either side. Hilaria belangeri is stoloniferous.
Please click on an image for a larger file.



Hilaria belangeri, photo Russ Kleinman, Black Mountain south of Cliff, October 23, 2009



Hilaria belangeri, flowering spike, photo Russ Kleinman, Black Mountain south of Cliff, October 23, 2009



Hilaria belangeri, stolon, photo Russ Kleinman, Black Mountain south of Cliff, October 23, 2009



Hilaria belangeri, macro of hairs on leaf edge, photo Russ Kleinman, Black Mountain south of Cliff, October 23, 2009



Hilaria belangeri, group of three spikelets "as they fall" (dorsal), photo Russ Kleinman, Black Mountain south of Cliff, October 23, 2009



Hilaria belangeri, group of three spikelets "as they fall" (ventral), photo Russ Kleinman, Black Mountain south of Cliff, October 23, 2009



Hilaria belangeri, group of three spikelets teased apart with staminate spikelets lateral and pistillate spikelet central, photo Russ Kleinman, Black Mountain south of Cliff, October 23, 2009



Hilaria belangeri, spikelets of a group separated-- requires tearing of tissue since the glumes are joined at the base, photo Russ Kleinman, Black Mountain south of Cliff, October 23, 2009


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