Saccharum alopecuroides

(L.) Nutt.
Common names: Silver plumegrass
Endemic
Synonyms: Erianthus alopecuroides
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 612.

Plants rhizomatous. Culms 1-2.5 m; nodes hairy, occasionally glabrate, hairs 7-12 mm. Sheaths mostly glabrous, ciliate distally; auricles absent; ligules 1-3 mm; blades 30-60 cm long, 14-28 mm wide, glabrous at maturity. Peduncles 40-60 cm, pilose; panicles 3-10 cm wide, oblong to lanceolate; rachises 15-34 cm, densely pilose; lowest nodes glabrous or sparsely pilose; primary branches 3-12 cm, appressed; rame internodes 3-5 mm, pilose. Sessile spikelets 6-7 mm long, 1.1-1.4 mm wide, straw-colored; callus hairs 9-14 mm, exceeding the spikelets, silvery or purple-tinged; lower glumes 5-veined, smooth; upper glumes 3-5-veined; lower lemmas 4.8-5.6 mm, without veins or 1-veined; upper lemmas 4-4.6 mm, 1-veined, bifid, teeth 1.8-2 mm, ciliate; awns 14-20 mm, flattened and spirally coiled at the base; lodicule veins not extending into hairlike projections; anthers 2. Pedicels 2.5-4 mm, pilose. Pedicellate spikelets similar to the sessile spikelets, except frequently pilose. 2n = 30.

Distribution

Md., N.J., Okla., Miss., Tex., La., W.Va., Mo., Ohio, Ala., D.C., Tenn., N.C., S.C., Va., Ark., Ill., Ga., Ind., Ky., Fla.

Discussion

Saccharum alopecuroides grows in damp woods, open areas, and field margins. It is restricted to the southeastern United States. It is rare or non-existent on the sandy coastal plain, and there are few specimens from southern Florida and the higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains. The combination of long rhizomes, long silvery callus hairs, and spirally coiled awns distinguish S. alopecuroides from all other species in the region.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Saccharum alopecuroides"
anatomy +  and kranz +
Robert D. Webster +
(L.) Nutt. +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
flattened +
1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
divergent +  and parallel +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
pseudopetiolate +
well-developed +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
usually linear +  and lanceolate occasionally ovate +
reduced +
1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br /> (2.8 cm28 mm <br />0.028 m <br />) +
spikelike +
purple-tinged +  and silvery +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
Silver plumegrass +
purple +  and reddish +
100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br /> (250 cm2,500 mm <br />2.5 m <br />) +
not woody +
Md. +, N.J. +, Okla. +, Miss. +, Tex. +, La. +, W.Va. +, Mo. +, Ohio +, Ala. +, D.C. +, Tenn. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Va. +, Ark. +, Ill. +, Ga. +, Ind. +, Ky. +  and Fla. +
capillary +
sometimes longer +
concealing +
compressed +  and terete +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
villous +  and glabrous +
2-keeled +
subequal +
chartaceous +  and coriaceous +
uncinate +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
bracteate +  and ebracteate +
pedunculate +  and multiple-stalked +
ascending +  and appressed +
axillary +  and subtending +
solid +  and hollow +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
photosynthetic +
not aromatic +
coriaceous +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
0.48 cm4.8 mm <br />0.0048 m <br /> (0.56 cm5.6 mm <br />0.0056 m <br />) +
pilose +  and glabrous +
complex +  and simple +
concealed +  and prominent +
glabrate +  and hairy +
pedicellate +
oblong +  and lanceolate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (?) +  and 60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (?) +
dry +  and fleshy +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
elongate +
stoloniferous +
pedicellate +  and sessile +
in triplets +  and paired +
straw-colored +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
2 +, 1 +  and numerous +
compressed +
usually smaller +  and reduced +
1.1mm +  and 1.4mm +
1 +  and 3 +
fused +  and free +
2 +  and 3 +
dome--shaped +  and triangular +
Erianthus alopecuroides +
Saccharum alopecuroides +
Saccharum +
species +
membranous +
0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
sessile-pedicellate +
awned +, muticous +, bidentate +  and entire +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.46 cm4.6 mm <br />0.0046 m <br />) +
not raised +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +