Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Danthonia spicata
FAMILY
Poaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Danthonia from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Danthonia spicata
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25 (2003)
Danthonia spicata
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-32-003:
Danthonia spicata FAMILY Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Danthonia spicata
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Danthonia spicata
COMMON NAME:
Poverty Oatgrass, Moonshine Grass, 'Curly Dan'
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_dasp2_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_dasp2_002_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm0403q_37
March Greenville County SC
Roadside
Leaves often curling, smooth and hairless to only sparsely hairy, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).
)
JK Marlow jkm210309_8908
March Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
Blades usually curled at maturity (vs. those of D. compressa not curled), per Flora of North America.
)
JK Marlow jkm090523_013
May Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
Sheaths glabrous or nearly so, per Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950).
)
JK Marlow jkm190520_8536
May Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm190520_8537
May Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm190520_8578
May Greenville County SC
Panicle 2-5cm long, the stiff short branches bearing a single spikelet, per Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950).
)
JK Marlow jkm071028_113
October Edgefield County SC
Sumter National Forest: Edgefield Ranger District
Blades usually curled or flexuous, per Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950).
COMPARE
foliage of Danthonia species
)
JK Marlow jkm181119_5991
November McCormick County SC
Parks Mill
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Danthonia spicata
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Danthonia spicata
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25
Danthonia spicata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-32-003:
Danthonia spicata
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Danthonia spicata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Danthonia spicata
435
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Habitat: Dry woodlands, rock outcrops, shale barrens, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common (uncommon in SC Coastal Plain, rare in GA Coastal Plain)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal & low alternate, 2-ranked
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Inflorescence a panicle
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Grain
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p216
- Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950) p307
- Guide to the Plants of Granite Outcrops (Murdy & Carter, 2000) p29
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".
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