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
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
The basal rosette is not well-defined and the stems and leaves are crowded basally, thus giving this species a bunched look. Its color is a bright, chartreuse green and this alone attracts attention... Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
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.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_pala15_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_pala15_002_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_paxa3_001_lhd
)
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).
)
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.
)
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).
)
JK Marlow jkm200425_4239b
April Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
Sheaths conspicuously retrorsely long-pilose; nodes bearded, per Weakley's Flora (2020).
)
JK Marlow jkm200425_4241
April Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm200425_4242
April Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
)
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.
)
JK Marlow jkm200425_4243b
April Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm060506_139
May Pickens County SC
Clemson Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm060506_166
May Pickens County SC
Clemson Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm230509_3081
May Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm230509_3159
May Pickens County SC
Glassy Mountain Heritage Preserve
)
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).
)
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
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
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
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!
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p220
- Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950) p644
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".
Or try alternate spellings: If "wooly" doesn't work, try "woolly" or just "wool".