medusahead

Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski

Description from Invasive.org

Appearance: Taeniatherum caput-medusa is an annual grass that is 8-24 in. (20.3-61 cm) tall and has distinct bristly seed heads and few leaves.
Foliage: Leaves are less than 0.13 in. (0.32 cm) wide. One or more stems arise from the base of the plant and can be as much as 2 ft. (0.6 m) tall. Each stem produces a single, short, spike-type seed head.
Flowers: Flowering occurs in late spring, when flower heads develop at the apex of the stems. Flowering occurs in late spring and early summer.
Fruit: The seed heads are what distinguish this plant from other annual grasses. Awns twist as they dry, hence the common name "medusahead". The longer of the two awns in each spikelet is barbed. These barbs catch on fur or clothing and spread seed.
Ecological Threat: T. caput-medusa was first collected in Oregon, in 1887. Plants invade dry, open lands with frequent disturbance such as fields and pastures. It is native to the Mediterranean.

Resources

Fire Effects Information System - USDA Forest Service
Element Stewardship Abstract - The Nature Conservancy

Selected Images from Invasive.org

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Plant(s)
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Control burning
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Fruit(s)
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Infestation
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Fruit(s)
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Infestation
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Prescribed Fire
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Feature(s) Medusahead on left, cheatgrass on right
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Flower(s)
Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org
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Diagram or Graphic Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. USDA Misc. Publ. No. 200. Washington, DC.
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database , USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
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