OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

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

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



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dichanthelium laxiflorum   FAMILY Poaceae

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

Dichanthelium laxiflorum

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-81-025:

Panicum laxiflorum   FAMILY Poaceae

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

Panicum laxiflorum

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

Panicum xalapense var. strictirameum

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

Panicum xalapense var. xalapense

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Panicum laxiflorum

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Panicum xalapense var. strictirameum

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Panicum xalapense var. xalapense

 

COMMON NAME:
Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass


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

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_pala15_001_lvd

        

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950    pnd_pala15_002_lvd

        

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950    pnd_paxa3_001_lhd

        

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm0304k_12

April    Beaufort County    SC

Early panicles 4-9cm long, later panicles partly hidden in leaf sheaths, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm200425_4238

April    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

A bright chartreuse green (other Dichs tend to be a darker/cooler green), per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm200425_4239

April    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

Leaf blades soft and not stiff (lax, thus the scientific and common names), per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm200425_4239b

April    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

Sheaths conspicuously retrorsely long-pilose; nodes bearded, per Weakley's Flora (2020).

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm200425_4241

April    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm200425_4242

April    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm200425_4243

April    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

Flowering stems reportedly may reach 1.5', but most are 10" or less, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm200425_4243b

April    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm060506_139

May    Pickens County    SC

Clemson Forest

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm060506_166

May    Pickens County    SC

Clemson Forest

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm230509_3081

May    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm230509_3159

May    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm200920_7296

September    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

Autumnal blades scarcely reduced, much exceeding the secondary panicles, per Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950).

image of Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Open-flower Witchgrass, Open-flower Rosette Grass

JK Marlow    jkm201002_7511

October    Pickens County    SC

Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve

Leaf margins ciliate, at least basally, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

 

 

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

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dichanthelium laxiflorum   FAMILY Poaceae

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

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-81-025:
Panicum laxiflorum   FAMILY Poaceae

INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Panicum laxiflorum

INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Panicum xalapense var. strictirameum

INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Panicum xalapense var. xalapense

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Panicum laxiflorum

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Panicum xalapense var. strictirameum

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Panicum xalapense var. xalapense

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

464

Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial

Habitat: Open or shaded woodlands, often in moist soil, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common

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

LEAVES:
Simple
Basal "cushion" (not a distinct rosette) & low alternate, 2-ranked

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall

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

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Grain whitish/Yellowish
Grain

 

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



 


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