Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Oplismenus setarius
FAMILY
Poaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Oplismenus setarius is notable for forming patches of plants with stems and leaves on the ground. The outermost portions of stems rise up and produce several spikelets, each with long awns. Note the transverse ribbing on the leaf surface. Learn more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
The "setarius entity" (variously treated at subspecies or species rank) is undoubtedly native in our area, often occurring in undisturbed habitats in natural communities entirely devoid of alien species (though it can also act somewhat aggressively in disturbed sites), per Weakley's Flora (2023).
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. setarius
FAMILY
Poaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Oplismenus compositus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)
Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. setarius
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25 (2003)
Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. setarius
INCLUDED WITHIN The genera of Paniceae (Gramineae: Panicoideae) in the se. US (Crins, 1991)
Oplismenus hirtellus
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-72-001:
Oplismenus setarius FAMILY Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Oplismenus setarius
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Oplismenus setarius
COMMON NAME:
Shortleaf Basketgrass, Woods-grass, Bristle Basketgrass
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_opse_001_lvd
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Keith Bradley kab_o_hirtellus_set_70501
October Miami-Dade County FL
Everglades National Park
Leaf length 1.5-6cm, the longest leaves with acute to acuminate tips (but not long-acuminate), per Weakley's Flora (2023).
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Keith Bradley kab_o_hirtellus_set_70507
October Miami-Dade County FL
Everglades National Park
)
Keith Bradley kab_o_hirtellus_set_70511
October Miami-Dade County FL
Everglades National Park
Racemes subglobose, each w about 5 spikelets; awn of first glume 4-8mm long, per Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950).
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Keith Bradley kab_o_hirtellus_set_70519
October Miami-Dade County FL
Everglades National Park
More and deeper purple florets than the invasive Wavyleaf Basketgrass, per New Invaders of the Southeast (Rawlins et al., 2018).
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Keith Bradley kab_o_hirtellus_set_70525
October Miami-Dade County FL
Everglades National Park
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Oplismenus setarius
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. setarius
FAMILY
Poaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Oplismenus compositus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)
Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. setarius
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25
Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. setarius
INCLUDED WITHIN
The genera of Paniceae (Gramineae: Panicoideae) in the se. US (Crins, 1991)
Oplismenus hirtellus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-72-001:
Oplismenus setarius
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Oplismenus setarius
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Oplismenus setarius
3802
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Habitat: hammocks, maritime forests, shell middens, moist forests, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon in Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate, 2-ranked
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Inflorescence a narrow panicle
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Yellowish
Grain
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
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".