Part 7 - UNC Herbarium

POACEAE 918
Sorghastrum elliottii (C. Mohr) Nash, Slender Indiangrass. Cp, Pd (GA, NC, SC, VA), Mt (GA, NC, SC): woodlands and
forests, river-scour areas, including oak-hickory forests and woodlands over mafic rocks; uncommon. September-October. MD
south to FL and west to TX, inland to TN, AR, and OK, mainly on the Coastal Plain, but extending inland to other physiographic
provinces. [= RAB, C, F, G, HC, K, S, W, Z; < S. elliottii – FNA (also see S. apalachicolense)]
Sorghastrum nutans (Linnaeus) Nash, Yellow Indiangrass. Mt, Pd, Cp (GA, NC, SC, VA): xeric and mesic woodlands
and forests of a wide variety, powerline rights-of-way, roadbanks; common. September-October. ME and Québec west to s.
Manitoba, south to FL, TX, UT, AZ, and Mexico. Along with Andropogon gerardii, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Panicum
virgatum, Sorghastrum nutans is one of the dominant grasses of the tall-grass prairie. It is also common in a variety of open
habitats (natural and altered) in the forested landscape of eastern North America. [= RAB, C, F, FNA, G, HC, K, S, W, Z; = S.
avenaceum (Michaux) Nash]
Sorghastrum secundum (Elliott) Nash, Lopsided Indiangrass. Cp (GA, SC): sandhills; uncommon. September-October.
S. SC south to FL and west to s. AL (Sorrie & Leonard 1999). [= RAB, FNA, HC, K, S, Z]
Sorghastrum apalachicolense D.W. Hall, Apalachicola Indiangrass, Open Indiangrass. Flatwoods and sandhills. Panhandle
FL west to s. MS (Sorrie & Leonard 1999). It may well occur as well in GA. July-August. [= K, Z; < S. elliottii – FNA]
Sorghum Moench (Sorghum, Milo, Johnson Grass)
A genus of about 25 species, of tropical and subtropical Old World (1 species in Mexico). References: Barkworth in FNA
(2003a); de Wet (1978)=Z.
1 Rhizomatous perennial; leaves 1-2 cm wide...........................................................................................................S. halepense
1 Fibrous-rooted annual; leaves (2-) 3-5 cm wide.
2 Inflorescence dense, compact; plants 0.5-1.3 m tall......................................................................... S. bicolor var. bicolor
2 Inflorescence open, with spreading branches; plants 1.0-3.0 m tall ........................................ S. bicolor var. drummondii
* Sorghum bicolor (Linnaeus) Moench var. bicolor, Sorghum, Milo, Broomcorn, Sorgo. Cp, Pd (GA, NC, SC, VA):
cultivated, rarely persistent; common in cultivation, rare as an escape. October. [= C; < Sorghum vulgare Persoon – RAB; <
Sorgum vulgare – F, orthographic variant; = S. vulgare var. vulgare – HC; = S. bicolor ssp. bicolor – FNA, K; < Holcus
sorghum Linnaeus – S]
* Sorghum bicolor (Linnaeus) Moench var. drummondii (Nees ex Steudel) Mohlenbrock, Shattercane. Cp, Pd (GA, NC, SC,
VA): cultivated, rarely persistent; common in cultivation, rare as an escape. October. This is the taller variety with open
inflorescences, usually sporadically present in sorghum fields. [= C; < Sorghum vulgare Persoon – RAB; < Sorgum vulgare – F,
orthographic variant; = Sorghum bicolor ssp. ×drummondii (Nees ex Steudel) de Wet – FNA; = Sorghum vulgare Persoon var.
drummondii (Nees ex Steudel) Hackel ex Chiov. – HC; = Sorghum bicolor ssp. drummondii (Nees ex Steudel) de Wet & Harlan
– K; < Holcus sorghum Linnaeus – S]
* Sorghum halepense (Linnaeus) Persoon, Johnson Grass. Cp, Pd, Mt (GA, NC, SC, VA): roadsides, fields, waste places;
common, introduced from Eurasia. A serious weed, difficult to eradicate. [= RAB, C, FNA, GW, HC, K, W; = Sorgum
halepense – F, G, orthographic variant; = Holcus halepensis Linnaeus – S]
Spartina Schreber (Cordgrass)
A genus of ca. 15 species, of temperate America, Europe, and Africa. References: Barkworth in FNA (2003a).
1 Leaf blades mostly 5-40 mm wide, flat toward the base, generally somewhat involute toward the tip, or involute after drying;
plants 0.3-4.0 m tall.
2 Glumes with smooth keels; spikelets spaced 3-8 mm apart on each face of the rachis (the rachis triangular in crosssection,
with spikelets attached on two faces); [of salt to brackish coastal marshes] ....................................S. alterniflora
2 Glumes with scabrous keels; spikelets spaced 1-3 mm apart on each face of the rachis; [of fresh to brackish coastal
marshes, or inland].
3 Second glume acute, not awned; first glume averaging ca. 1/2 as long as the lemma; spikes (6-) 20-50 (-more) per
inflorescence; [of fresh to brackish coastal marshes] .........................................................................S. cynosuroides
3 Second glume with an awn 3-10 mm long; first glume averaging ca. 7/8 as long as the lemma; spikes (5-) 7-27 per
inflorescence; [of fresh marshes, either inland or coastal] ....................................................................... S. pectinata
1 Leaf blades mostly 1-4 (-6) mm wide, involute; plants 0.3-1.0 m tall (to 2.0 m tall in the distinctly clumped S. bakeri).
4 Plants forming large clumps with numerous culms and leaves; spikelets 6-9 mm long; spikes usually 9-14 per
inflorescence; [of se. SC southward] ...................................................................................................................S. bakeri
4 Plants with creeping rhizomes, culms arising singly or few together from a point; spikelets 7-13 mm long; spikes
usually 1-9 per inflorescence; [widely distributed in coastal parts of our area].
5 Spikelets 7-10 mm long; second glume acute to obtuse (rarely acuminate); spikes (2-) 4-9 per inflorescence;
second highest leaf blade on the stem (1-) avg. 2 (-5) dm long; plants to 15 dm tall; culms to 6 mm in diameter at
base ..................................................................................................................................... S. patens var. monogyna