Dichanthelium malacophyllum

(Nash) Gould
Common names: Soft-leaved panicgrass
Endemic
Synonyms: Panicum malacophyllum
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 422.

Plants cespitose, with caudices. Basal rosettes well-differentiated; blades 2-4 cm, ovate to lanceolate. Culms 20-70 cm, usually 1-2 mm thick, erect; nodes retrorsely bearded; internodes puberulent and densely pubescent with soft, spreading to retrorse hairs, hairs papillose-based, papillae small; fall phase branching from the mid and upper culm nodes, ultimately much rebranched, with short, bushy clumps of blades and small, included secondary panicles, this branching beginning before the the primary panicles exserted. Cauline leaves 5-6; sheaths not overlapping, pubescence not as dense as on the culms; collars puberulent; ligules 0.5-1 mm, of hairs, bases of the hairs forming a thickened ring, pseudoligules of 1-3 mm hairs also present; blades 5-10 cm long, 6-12 mm wide, lax, both surfaces velvety pubescent, with 9 or 11 major veins, these only slightly more prominent than the minor veins, bases rounded, margins ciliate. Primary panicles 3-7 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, tardily and shortly exserted; rachises and branches densely pubescent. Spikelets 2.5-3.2 mm long, 1.5-1.6 mm wide, broadly ellipsoid-obovoid, turgid, with papillose-based hairs, sometimes pilose. Lower glumes 1-1.6 mm, strongly veined, acute; upper glumes strongly veined, often purplish, especially towards the bases; lower florets sterile; upper florets minutely umbonate. 2n = 18.

Distribution

Kans., Okla., Tex., Mo., Tenn., Ark., Ill., Ky.

Discussion

Dichanthelium malacophyllum usually grows in cedar glades, on dry limestone soils. It is restricted to the United States. The primary panicles are briefly open-pollinated from late May to early June; the secondary panicles, which are produced from June to November, are cleistogamous. The species occasionally intergrades, and perhaps hybridizes, with D. oligosanthes and D. acuminatum.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"usually distinctly longer and narrower" is not a number."decumbent" is not a number.

rounded +  and attenuate +
anatomy +  and kranz +
Mary E. Barkworth +
(Nash) Gould +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
keeled +  and rounded +
well-differentiated +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
divergent +  and parallel +
purplish spot +  and orange +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
rounded +
swelling +
disarticulating +  and pseudopetiolate +
distinct +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
ovate +  and lanceolate +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
spikelike +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
not developed +
terete +  and compressed +
sometimes longer +
Soft-leaved panicgrass +
decumbent +  and sprawling +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Kans. +, Okla. +, Tex. +, Mo. +, Tenn. +, Ark. +, Ill. +  and Ky. +
capillary +
germination +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
compressed +  and terete +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
unequal +
membranous +
papillose-based +
spreading +  and retrorse +
uncinate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Oval (?) +  and Round (?) +
bracteate +  and ebracteate +
solid +  and hollow +
pubescent +  and puberulent +
cauline +  and basal +
coriaceous +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
1/5 +  and 3/4 +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br />) +
complex +  and simple +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
subterranean +
dry +  and fleshy +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
not overlapping +
hirsute +  and glabrous +
in triplets +  and paired +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br />) +
1 +  and 60 +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
turgid +  and ellipsoid-obovoid +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.43 cm4.3 mm <br />0.0043 m <br />) +
1.5mm +  and 1.6mm +
1 +  and 3 +
fused +  and free +
2 +  and 3 +
dome--shaped +  and triangular +
more prominent +
pubescent +  and velvety +
Panicum malacophyllum +
Dichanthelium malacophyllum +
Dichanthelium sect. Oligosantha +
species +
membranous +
chartaceous-indurate +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +