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
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
This is supposedly closely related to D. sphaerocarpon, but there are many points of difference. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
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.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_papo4_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm200517_5044
May Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
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).
)
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).
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6036
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6040
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6054b
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6206
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Vernal culms erect, usually purplish below, tall (to 90cm); leaf ...
)
JK Marlow jkm250618_1123
June Greenville County SC
Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve
)
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).
)
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).
)
JK Marlow jkm190702_9662
July Greenville County SC
Leaf blades firm, white-margined, conspicuously striate, per The Grasses of North Carolina (Blomquist, 1948).
)
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).
)
JK Marlow jkm190726_00162
July Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
This is a rather elegant witchgrass, 1.5-2.5 feet tall, ...
)
JK Marlow jkm190726_0160
July Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
with gracefully proportioned leaves, and topped by a...
)
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.
)
JK Marlow jkm200703_6338
July Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
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).
)
JK Marlow jkm190810_0626
August Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm190810_0627
August Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm210807_2489
August Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
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
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)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
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!
- The Grasses of North Carolina (Blomquist, 1948) p163
- Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950) p665
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".