Part 7 - UNC Herbarium

POACEAE 914
FL and LA. References: Webster in FNA (2003a); Webster & Shaw (1995)=Z; Gandhi & Dutton (1993); Hodkinson et al.
(2002).
1 Lowermost inflorescence node densely hairy; callus hairs (ring of hairs beneath the spikelet) (7-) 9-25 mm long, equal to or
longer than the spikelet; stem appressed-pubescent below the inflorescence, on the internodes as well as the nodes.
2 Lemma awn flattened and spirally twisted at base; callus hairs 9-14 mm long, silvery or tinged with purple; leaves
usually glabrous on the upper surface at maturity; [of moist to dry sites, rarely in wetlands]...................S. alopecuroides
2 Lemma awn nearly terete, straight or slightly flexuous; callus hairs (7-) 15-20 (-25) mm long, tawny or brown; leaves
usually pilose on the upper surface at maturity; [of moist to wet sites, rarely in uplands].............................S. giganteum
1 Lowermost inflorescence node glabrous; callus hairs (ring of hairs beneath the spikelet) 0-6.5 mm long, shorter than or equal
to the spikelet (or absent in S. brevibarbe); stem glabrous below the inflorescence, except sometimes on the nodes.
3 Callus hairs (ring of hairs beneath the spikelet) absent, or of few hairs 0-2 mm long (much shorter than the spikelet);
panicle branches closely appressed, the panicle usually 1-3 cm broad; panicle branches glabrous ................. S. baldwinii
3 Callus hairs (ring of hairs beneath the spikelet) present, dense, 3-6.5 mm long (from about half as long to nearly as long
as the spikelet); panicle branches ascending, the panicle usually 4-10 cm broad; panicle branches pubescent.
4 Awn of the lemma of the upper floret terete at the base, and not spiraled; spikelets dark brown; spikelet pair
dissimilar in size, the lemma of the upper floret 0.7-0.8× as long as the lemma of the lower floret; lemma of the
lower floret typically 3-nerved .............................................................................................................S. coarctatum
4 Awn of the lemma of the upper floret flattened at the base, either spiraled or not; spikelets straw-colored or
purplish; spikelet pair homomorphic, the upper lemma 0.9-1.0× as long as the lower lemma; lemma of the lower
floret not distinctly nerved.
5 Awn of the lemma of the upper floret not basally spiraled, 10-18 mm long; lemma of the upper floret entire...
............................................................................................................................. S. brevibarbe var. brevibarbe
5 Awn of the lemma of the upper floret basally spiraled, 15-22 mm long; lemma of the upper floret bifid, the
tooth on either side of the lemma 2.0-2.5 mm long...............................................S. brevibarbe var. contortum
Saccharum alopecuroides (Linnaeus) Nuttall, Silver Plume Grass. Pd, Mt, Cp (GA, NC, SC, VA): fields, roadsides,
woodland borders; common (rare in Mountains). October. NJ west to IN, IL, MO, and OK, south to FL and TX. [= FNA; =
Saccharum alopecuroideum (Linnaeus) Nuttall – Z, orthographic variant; = Erianthus alopecuroides (Linnaeus) Elliott – RAB,
C, F, G, GW, HC, W; = Saccharum alopecuroidum – K, orthographic variant; = Erianthus divaricatus (Linnaeus) A.S.
Hitchcock – S; = Miscanthidium species 1]
Saccharum baldwinii Sprengel, Narrow Plume Grass. Cp (GA, NC, SC, VA): marshes, clay-based Carolina bays, ditches;
common. July-October. E. VA south to FL, west to TX, AR, scattered northward inland to TN and MO. [= FNA, K, Z; =
Erianthus strictus Elliott – RAB, C, F, G, GW, HC, S; = Miscanthidium species 2]
Saccharum brevibarbe (Michaux) Persoon var. brevibarbe, Short-bearded Plume Grass. Cp (NC): marshes, ditches; rare.
September-October. MS, AL, and TN west to TX, AR, and OK; disjunct in e. NC. [= FNA, K, Z; < Erianthus brevibarbis
Michaux – RAB, C, G, GW, S (also see S. coarctatum); = E. brevibarbis – F; >< Erianthus coarctatus Fernald var. coarctatus –
HC; >< Erianthus coarctatus var. elliottianus Fernald – HC; = Miscanthidium species 3]
Saccharum brevibarbe (Michaux) Persoon var. contortum (Elliott) R. Webster, Bent-awn Plume Grass. Cp, Pd, Mt (GA,
NC, SC, VA): open woodlands and forests, woodland borders; common, rare in Mountains. Late July-October. DE and MD
south to panhandle FL, west to TX and AR, with scattered occurrences north to TN. [= FNA, K, Z; = Erianthus contortus Elliott
– RAB, C, F, G, GW, HC, S, W; = Saccharum contortum (Elliott) Nuttall; = Erianthus brevibarbis Michaux var. contortus
(Elliott) D.B. Ward; = Miscanthidium species 4]
Saccharum coarctatum (Fernald) R.D. Webster, Brown Plume Grass. Cp (GA, NC, SC, VA): marshes, ditches, clay-based
Carolina bays, swamps; common (rare in VA). September-October. DE and MD south to FL, west to TX (Brown & Marcus
1998). [= FNA, K, Z; < Erianthus brevibarbis Michaux – RAB, C, G, GW, S; >< Erianthus coarctatus Fernald – F, HC; ><
Erianthus coarctatus var. coarctatus – HC; >< Erianthus coarctatus var. elliottianus Fernald – HC; = Miscanthidium species 5]
Saccharum giganteum (Walter) Persoon, Sugarcane Plume Grass, Giant Plume Grass. Cp, Pd, Mt (GA, NC, SC, VA):
marshes, ditches; common, rare in Mountains. September-October. NY south to FL, west to se. TX and AR; inland in TN and
KY. [= FNA, K, Z; = Erianthus giganteus (Walter) Palisot de Beauvois – RAB, C, G, GW, HC, W; > Erianthus giganteus var.
giganteus – F; > Erianthus giganteus var. compactus (Nash) Fernald – F; = Erianthus saccharoides Michaux – S; =
Miscanthidium species 6]
Sacciolepis Nash
A genus of about 30 species, primarily in the tropics and subtropics. References: Wipff in FNA (2003a).
1 Annual, cespitose; spikelets 2.5-3.5 mm long; [rare alien] ........................................................................................... S. indica
1 Perennial, from creeping stolons; spikelets (3-) 4-5 mm long; [common native] .........................................................S. striata
* Sacciolepis indica (Linnaeus) Chase. Cp (GA, NC, SC): low fields, ditches; rare, introduced from India. October. [=
RAB, FNA, GW, HC, K]