familyPoaceae
subfamilyPoaceae subfam. Panicoideae
tribePoaceae tribe Andropogoneae
genusAndropogon
sectionAndropogon sect. Leptopogon
speciesAndropogon gracilis

Andropogon gracilis

Spreng.
Christopher S. Campbell
Common names: Wire bluestem
Synonyms: Schizachyrium sericatum Schizachyrium gracile
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 653.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Hana Pazdírková, Linda A. Vorobik

Copyright: Utah State University

Plants densely cespitose. Culms 20-60 cm, wiry, glabrous. Sheaths smooth; ligules to 1.4 mm; blades to 45 cm long, to 4 mm wide, involute and filiform, or folded. Inflorescence units 3-50+ per culm; peduncles 2-13.2 cm, with 1 rame; rames 2-4 cm, usually long-exserted at maturity; internodes densely pubescent, hairs to 8 mm. Sessile spikelets 4-6 mm; lower glumes scabrous in the distal 1/2; awns 11-20 mm. Pedicellate spikelets reduced to an awned or unawned glume, sterile. 2n = 40.

Distribution

Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Fla.

Discussion

Andropogon gracilis grows on oolite in openings and rocky margins of pine woodlands of southern Florida and the West Indies. Although not uncommon, it is frequently overlooked. It has sometimes been placed in Schizachyrium because of its solitary rames.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Andropogon gracilis"
RDF feed
2n chromosome quantity
40 +
Abaxial ligule presence
absent +
Abaxial ligule quantity
common +
Adaxial cell presence
absent +
Adaxial cell shape
bulliform +
Adaxial ligule architecture or pubescence or shape
ciliate +
Adaxial ligule presence
absent +
Adaxial ligule texture
membranous +
Anther atypical quantity
2 (?) +
Anther quantity
3 +  and 1 +
Arm cell presence
absent +
Arm cell quantity
anatomy +  and kranz +
Auricle presence
absent +
Author
Christopher S. Campbell +
Authority
Spreng. +
Awn atypical quantity
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Awn orientation
arising +
Awn quantity
single +
Awn some measurement
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Axis architecture
grooved +
Axis pubescence
pubescent +
Axis shape
terete +  and flattened +
Axis size
slender +
Back shape
keeled +  and rounded +
Base architecture
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
Base arrangement
divergent +  and parallel +
Base position
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
Base size
swelling +
Base texture
hard +
Base width
thick +
Blade architecture
pseudopetiolate +
Blade architecture or arrangement
non-radiate +  and radiate +
Blade development
well-developed +
Blade length
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (45 cm450 mm <br />0.45 m <br />) +
Blade position
adaxial +
Blade shape
folded +  and filiform +
Blade shape or vernation
involute +
Blade size
reduced +
Blade width
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Branch axis condition
intact +
Branch quantity
1;13 +
Branch shape
spikelike +
Bundle sheath quantity
single +
Callus height or length or size
short +
Callus shape
blunt +
Caryopsis architecture or shape
cleft +
Caryopsis presence
absent +
Common name
Wire bluestem +
Culm architecture
wiry +
Culm architecture or arrangement or growth form
solitary +
Culm coloration
purple +  and reddish +
Culm duration
annual +
Culm growth form
climbing +
Culm growth form or location
floating +
Culm growth form or orientation
decumbent +
Culm orientation
erect +
Culm pubescence
glabrous +
Culm some measurement
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
Culm texture
not woody +
Distal cell length or size
long +
Distal cell size or width
narrow +
Distribution
Puerto Rico +, Virgin Islands +  and Fla. +
Embryo shape
waisted +
Embryo size
large +
Endosperm texture
hard +
Filament shape
capillary +
Floret architecture
sessile +
Floret arrangement
adjacent +
Floret atypical quantity
2 +  and 4 +
Floret length or size
sometimes longer +
Floret palea development
well-developed +
Floret palea presence
absent +
Floret palea size
reduced +
Floret position
concealing +
Floret quantity
2 +
Floret reproduction
bisexual +
Floret shape
compressed +  and terete +
Fusoid cell presence
absent +
Glume architecture or shape
awned +
Glume height or length or size
shorter +
Glume length or size
shorter or longer +
Glume position
subtending +
Glume position relational
exceeding +
Glume quantity
2 +
Glume shape
compressed +  and rounded +
Glume size
unequal +
Glume variability
equal +
Hair architecture or shape
awned +
Hair quantity
lacking +
Hair shape
uncinate +
Hair some measurement
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Hilum arrangement or course or shape
linear +
Hilum coloration or relief
punctate +
Illustration
Present +
Illustration copyright
Utah State University +
Illustrator
Linda A. Vorobik +  and Hana Pazdírková +
Inflorescence architecture
bracteate +  and ebracteate +
Inflorescence branch architecture
pedunculate +  and multiple-stalked +
Inflorescence branch arrangement
cluster +
Inflorescence nutrition
photosynthetic +
Inflorescence position
axillary +
Inflorescence position or structure subtype
terminal +
Inflorescence unit nutrition
photosynthetic +
Inflorescence unit position
subtending +
Inflorescence unit quantity
3 (50) +
Intercostal region architecture
with inconspicuous veins +  and veined +
Internode apex shape
fimbriate +  and cupulate +
Internode architecture
solid +  and hollow +
Internode length
elongated +
Internode pubescence
pubescent +
Keel architecture
not winged +
Layer presence
absent +
Leaf arrangement
distichous +
Leaf development
modified +
Leaf margin arrangement
Overlapping (?) +
Leaf nutrition
photosynthetic +
Leaf odor
not aromatic +
Lemma architecture or shape
awned +
Lemma coloration
hyaline +
Lemma texture
coriaceous +
Ligule architecture or pubescence or shape
ciliate +
Ligule presence
absent +
Ligule some measurement
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br />) +
Ligule texture
membranous +
Lodicule fusion
free +
Lodicule presence
absent +
Lodicule prominence
inconspicuous +
Lodicule pubescence
glabrous +
Lodicule quantity
2 +
Lodicule shape
cuneate +
Lodicule texture
fleshy +
Lower floret architecture
staminate +
Lower floret reproduction
sterile +
Lower floret size
reduced +
Lower glume architecture
2-9-veined +  and veined +
Lower glume pubescence or relief
scabrous +
Lower glume shape
concave +, flat +  and 2-keeled +
Lower glume texture
membranous +
Microhair presence
absent +
Midrib architecture
complex +  and simple +
Next floret architecture
sessile +
Node prominence
concealed +  and prominent +
Number of lower taxa
0 +
Other quantity
1 +
Ovary presence
absent +
Ovary pubescence
glabrous +
Pair; pair spikelet architecture
homomorphic +
Pair; pair spikelet reproduction
homogamous +
Pair architecture
sessile-pedicellate +
Pair reproduction
heterogamous +
Palea shape
keeled +
Papilla presence
absent +
Pedicel architecture
pedicellate +
Pedicel coloration
pubescence +
Pedicel fusion
not fused +
Pedicel presence
absent +
Pedicel quantity
1 +
Pedicel size
reduced +
Pedicel some measurement
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +
Peduncle orientation
not reflexed +
Peduncle position
long-exserted +
Peduncle prominence
concealed +
Peduncle some measurement
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (?) +  and 4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +
Pericarp arrangement
separating +
Pericarp condition or texture
dry +
Pericarp texture
dry +  and fleshy +
Rachis fixation
attached +
Rachis prominence
evident +
Rachis shape
elongate +
Rame atypical quantity
13 +  and 1 +
Rame quantity
1 (?) +
Reference
None +
Scale coloration
hyaline +
Secondary position
higher +
Sheath architecture
open +
Sheath architecture or pubescence or relief
smooth +
Sheath condition
closed +
Source xml
https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V25/V25 1576.xml +
Spike architecture
complex +
Spike arrangement
bisexual +
Spike reproduction
unisexual +
Spikelet architecture
pedicellate +  and sessile +
Spikelet architecture or shape
awned +
Spikelet arrangement
in triplets +  and paired +
Spikelet character
length +
Spikelet development
well-developed +
Spikelet fixation
attached +
Spikelet presence
absent +
Spikelet prominence
vestigial +
Spikelet quantity
2 +  and 1 +
Spikelet reproduction
sterile +
Spikelet size
reduced +
Spikelet some measurement
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Spikelet variability
variable +
Stamen quantity
1 +  and 3 +
Starch-grain architecture
simple +
Style-branch arrangement
close +
Style-branch atypical quantity
4 +  and 1 +
Style-branch fusion
fused +  and free +
Style-branch quantity
2 (?) +
Style quantity
2 +  and 3 +
Subsidiary-cell shape
dome--shaped +  and triangular +
Synonyms
Schizachyrium sericatum +  and Schizachyrium gracile +
Taxon family
Poaceae +
Taxon name
Andropogon gracilis +
Taxon parent
Andropogon sect. Leptopogon +
Taxon rank
species +
Tissue coloration
hyaline +
Tissue texture
membranous +
Triplet architecture
sessile-pedicellate +
Triplet reproduction
heterogamous +
Upper floret architecture
pistillate +
Upper floret reproduction
bisexual +
Vein presence
absent +
Vein prominence
inconspicuous +
Vein quantity
2 (?) +
Vein size
major +
Volume
Volume 25 +
Whole organism architecture
rhizomatous +
Whole organism arrangement or pubescence
tufted +
Whole organism duration
perennial +
Whole organism growth form
plant +  and cespitose +
Whole organism growth form or habitat
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
Whole organism growth form or texture
herbaceous +
Whole organism reproduction
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +
Whole organism variability
varied +
X chromosome atypical quantity
14 +, 12 +  and 7 +
X chromosome quantity
10 +