OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

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

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Imperata cylindrica   FAMILY Poaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Imperata cylindrica   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Imperata cylindrica

INCLUDED WITHIN Grasses of Florida (Hall, 2019)

Imperata cylindrica

SYNONYMOUS WITH New combinations in the Florida flora II (Ward, 2004)

Imperata cylindrica var. cylindrica

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

Imperata cylindrica

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)

Imperata cylindrica

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

Imperata cylindrica

 

COMMON NAME:
Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail


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

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

    wwwcofcedu_cogongrass

        

www.cofc.edu/~everettj/cogongrass.html

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

    wwwplantsifasufl_cogon

        

https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/imperata-cylindrica/

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    jkm080604_003

June    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

Spikelike, tightly branched panicle. Spikelets obscured by silky hairs, per Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests (Miller, 2003).

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    jkm080604_010

June    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    jkm080604_021

June    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

Silky spikelike panicles are terminal, cylindrical, 1-8" long, 0.2-1" wide, per Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests (Miller, 2003).

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    jkm080604_038

June    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    s080604_d1

June    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    s080604_d2

June    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    s080604_e

June    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    s080604_e2

June    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

Grain released with hairy husks for wind dispersal, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    jkm080702_009

July    Pickens County    SC

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    jkm080702_013

July    Pickens County    SC

Leaf margins finely serrate, per Field Guide to the Identification of Cogongrass.

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    jkm080702_020

July    Pickens County    SC

Cogongrass blades are varying heights - even as high as 6' - averaging 3-4'

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    jkm080702_041

July    Pickens County    SC

New plants arise from horizontal underground stems or "rhizomes", per Field Guide to the Identification of Cogongrass.

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

JK Marlow    jkm080702_045

July    Pickens County    SC

Cogongrass typically grows in dense patches, often circular, per Field Guide to the Identification of Cogongrass.

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

Jean Everett    jbeicylindrica_clumpsmtg

November    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

Clumps about to meet.

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

Jean Everett    jbeicylindrica_habit

November    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

Habit.

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

Jean Everett    jbeicylindrica_leaftop

November    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

Top side of leaf.

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

Jean Everett    jbeicylindrica_lfmidvein

November    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

Off center midvein.

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

Jean Everett    jbeicylindrica_roadside

November    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

Roadside stand.

image of Imperata cylindrica, Cogongrass, Bloodroot Grass, Brazilian Satintail

Jean Everett    jbeicylindrica_sheathb

November    Charleston County    SC

Francis Marion National Forest

Hairs on sheath.

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Imperata cylindrica   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Imperata cylindrica   FAMILY Poaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Imperata cylindrica

INCLUDED WITHIN Grasses of Florida (Hall, 2019)
Imperata cylindrica

SYNONYMOUS WITH New combinations in the Florida flora II (Ward, 2004)
Imperata cylindrica var. cylindrica

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25
Imperata cylindrica

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Imperata cylindrica

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

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

748

Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial

Habitat: Pinelands, grassy roadsides, pastures, per Weakley's Flora

Non-native: southeast Asia, southern Asia, & possibly east Africa

Common in GA Coastal Plain, uncommon in SC Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)

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


INVASIVE

This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:

 

LEAVES:
Simple
Most leaves arising from near the base, with overlapping sheaths

RHIZOMES? STOLONS?
Rhizomatous, forming clonal colonies

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Spikelets with silvery-white hairs

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall?
Grain brown
Grain

 

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



 


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