Orcuttia viscida
Encyclopedia
Orcuttia viscida is a rare species of grass
known by the common name Sacramento Orcutt grass.
, where it grows only in vernal pool
s, a rare and declining type of habitat. As of 1997, two of the nine known populations had been extirpated
as habitat has been consumed for urban development, and it was federally listed as an endangered species
.
Since its listing, one additional occurrence of the plant has been discovered, for a total of eight extant populations.
is a small, crowded cluster of spikelets with awned tips that curve outward at maturity, giving the spikes a bristly appearance.
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
known by the common name Sacramento Orcutt grass.
Distribution
It is endemic to Sacramento County, CaliforniaSacramento County, California
Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Sacramento, which is also the state capital. As of 2010 the county had a population of 1,418,788....
, where it grows only in vernal pool
Vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species...
s, a rare and declining type of habitat. As of 1997, two of the nine known populations had been extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
as habitat has been consumed for urban development, and it was federally listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
Since its listing, one additional occurrence of the plant has been discovered, for a total of eight extant populations.
Description
Orcuttia viscida is a small, hairy, aromatic annual grass forming sticky, glandular tufts up to 10 or 15 centimeters in maximum height. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a small, crowded cluster of spikelets with awned tips that curve outward at maturity, giving the spikes a bristly appearance.