OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Dichanthelium polyanthes   FAMILY Poaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon var. isophyllum   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25 (2003)

Dichanthelium polyanthes

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-81-056:

Panicum polyanthes   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)

Panicum polyanthes

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Panicum polyanthes

 

COMMON NAME:
Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_papo4_001_lvd

        

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm200517_5044

May    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm0506g_25

June    Oconee County    SC

Roadside

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm0506g_26

June    Oconee County    SC

Roadside

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm200625_6021

June    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

Nodes and internodes glabrous or puberulent. Leaf bases cordate, ciliate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm200625_6035

June    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

Panicle longer than broad, conspicuously many-flowered, per The Grasses of North Carolina (Blomquist, 1948).

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm200625_6036

June    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm200625_6040

June    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm200625_6054b

June    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm200625_6206

June    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

Vernal culms erect, usually purplish below, tall (to 90cm); leaf ...

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm190702_9607

July    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

blades relatively long, spreading to ascending, the upper slightly reduced, per The Grasses of North Carolina (Blomquist, 1948).

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm190702_9609

July    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Blades glabrous on both surfaces, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm190702_9662

July    Greenville County    SC

Leaf blades firm, white-margined, conspicuously striate, per The Grasses of North Carolina (Blomquist, 1948).

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm190702_9665

July    Greenville County    SC

Panicle 5-20cm long. Spikelets 1.2-1.6mm, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm190726_00162

July    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

This is a rather elegant witchgrass, 1.5-2.5 feet tall, ...

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm190726_0160

July    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

with gracefully proportioned leaves, and topped by a...

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm190726_157

July    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

long-elliptical (or cylindrical) inflorescence of numerous small spikelets, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm200703_6338

July    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm200703_6369

July    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

Mid-culm blades to 25cm long, 14-30mm wide, the uppermost 10-15+ cm long, per Weakley's Flora (2020).

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm190810_0626

August    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm190810_0627

August    Greenville County    SC

Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm210807_2489

August    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

image of Dichanthelium polyanthes, Many-flowered Witchgrass, Small-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass

JK Marlow    jkm211027_4588

October    Transylvania County    NC

DuPont State Forest

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Dichanthelium polyanthes   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon var. isophyllum   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25
Dichanthelium polyanthes

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-81-056:
Panicum polyanthes   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Panicum polyanthes

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Panicum polyanthes

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

1023

Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial

Habitat: Damp to dry soil of open woods and ditches, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common (rare in Coastal Plain) (rare in GA Mountains)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate, 2-ranked, and often a basal rosette of overwintering leaves

FLOWER:
Summer/Fall

Early-season ("spring") panicles terminal; later "autumnal" panicles are lateral

FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Grain yellowish/Purplish
Grain

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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