Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Dichanthelium commutatum +
FAMILY
Poaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Together, D. commutatum var. ashei and var. commutatum are among NC's most often encountered witchgrasses. Var. ashei has narrower and shorter leaves, plus very short-hairy (puberulent) stems (vs. glabrous). Leaves of var. commutatum may be broad enough to recall D. boscii and D. latifolium; see them for separation. Two other subspecies -- equilaterale and joorii -- are mapped by Weakley (2020), but are not treated by BioDiv pending further studies of numerous "intermediates." Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dichanthelium commutatum
FAMILY
Poaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Dichanthelium commutatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25 (2003)
Dichanthelium commutatum +
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-81-059:
Panicum commutatum FAMILY Poaceae
COMMON NAME:
Variable Witchgrass
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_dico2_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_paas3_001_lvd
Panicum ashei = D. commutatum var. ashei
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_paas3_002_lhd
Panicum ashei = D. commutatum var. ashei
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_paco21_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_paco21_002_lhd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_paeq2_001_lhd
Panicum equilaterale < D. commutatum var. commutatum
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_pamu10_001_lvd
Panicum mutabile < D. commutatum var. commutatum
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_pamu10_002_lhd
Panicum mutabile < D. commutatum var. commutatum
)
JK Marlow jkm230418_2656
April Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmdcommutatum_home1
April Anderson County SC
Panicle 6-12 cm long, per Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950).
)
JK Marlow jkm060506_048
May Oconee County SC
Clemson Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm200525_5225
May Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm200525_5228
May Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm200525_5229
May Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm200526_5337
May Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm200528_5365
May Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm200531_5508
May Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm200531_5526
May Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm200531_5531
May Greenville County SC
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmdcommutatum_huger
May Berkeley County SC
Francis Marion National Forest
Blades glabrous, margins scaberulose, bases cordate, frequently ciliate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm120623_200
June Greenville County SC
Ashmore Heritage Preserve
Vernal culms 40-75cm tall, erect, per Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950).
)
JK Marlow jkm120623_203
June Greenville County SC
Ashmore Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm0407b_29
July Rutherford County NC
Chimney Rock Park
Later leaves somewhat reduced, jutting out from stem, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Dichanthelium commutatum +
FAMILY
Poaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dichanthelium commutatum
FAMILY
Poaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Dichanthelium commutatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25
Dichanthelium commutatum +
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-81-059:
Panicum commutatum
FAMILY
Poaceae
461
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common, uncommon, rare, or absent - depending on variety & region
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate, 2-ranked, and often a basal rosette of overwintering leaves
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Early-season ("spring") panicles terminal; later "autumnal" panicles are lateral
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Grain yellowish/Purplish
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) p218
- Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950) p677
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".