Dichanthelium filiramum
hairy needle-leaved witch grass
| Dichanthelium filiramum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class: | Liliopsida - Moncots |
| Order: | Cyperales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Dichanthelium |
| Species: | D. filiramum |
| Binomial name | |
| Dichanthelium filiramum Ashe | |
Contents
Taxonomic Notes
Synonyms: Panicum chrysopsidifolium Nash; P. consanguineum Kunth; P. aciculare Desvaux ex Poiret; P. lanuginosum Elliott var. lanuginosum; Dichanthelium acuminatum (Swartz) Gould & C.A. Clark var. acuminatum.[1]
Varieties: none.[1]
This species is still being clarified, and is associated with the Dichanthelium aciculare complex as well as the D. acuminatum complex.[2]
Description
Dichanthelium filiramum is a perennial graminoid in the Poaceae family. Leaves are longitudinally wrinkled 15 to 20 times or more as long as wide, and also contains strongly nerved spikelets. Nodes are villous with longer ligules as well.[2]
Distribution
The species is native to the eastern United States from Delaware south to Florida and west to Arkansas and Texas. It is also native to the West Indies.[2]
Ecology
Habitat
D. filiramum can be found pinelands ranging from dry to moist soils.[2] A specimen collected from the Apalachicola National Forest in the Florida panhandle found the species frequent in an open area of cutover pine flatwoods that was near a trail in wet loamy sand.[3]
Phenology
This species generally flowers from May until October.[2] This species was observed fruiting in May.[3]
Pollination and use by animals
D. filiramum will increase under heavy grazing by cattle, but continuous use may lead to a decrease and replacement by other grasses. The species is somewhat palatable, and functions as forage for cattle in the early winter and spring.[4]
Conservation, cultivation, and restoration
Cultural use
Photo Gallery
References and notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-atlantic states. Working Draft of 21 May 2015. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Weakley, A. S. (2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Herbarium.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: April 2019. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson. States and Counties: Florida: Franklin.
- ↑ Byrd, Nathan A. (1980). "Forestland Grazing: A Guide For Service Foresters In The South." U.S. Department of Agriculture.
