Dichanthelium ravenelii

Dichanthelium ravenelii
Photo by Kevin Robertson
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class:	Liliopsida – Monocotyledons
Order:	Cyperales
Family:	Poaceae ⁄ Gramineae
Genus:	Dichanthelium
Species:	D. ravenelii
Binomial name
Dichanthelium ravenelii (Scribn. & Merr.) Gould
Natural range of Dichanthelium ravenelii from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: Ravenel's rosette grass

Synonym: Panicum ravenelii Scribn. & Merr.

Description

Dichanthelium ravenelii is a perennial graminoid.

Distribution

TX, OK, MO, IA, IL, KY, TN, AR, LA, MS, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE

Ecology

Habitat

D. ravenelii can be found in calcareous coastal hardwood hammocks, calcareous glades, edges of limesinks, pine-oak sandhills, live oak woods, mixed deciduous forests, upland longleaf and shortleaf pine native communities, banks of hardwood forested rivers (FSU Herbarium). It occurs in a wide range of soil conditions from deep sands, to clay, sandy loam, sandy clay, and forest humus (FSU Herbarium). Can occurs in highly disturbed areas, particularly if sandy (FSU Herbarium). Tolerates full light to partially shaded conditions (FSU Herbarium). Apparently limited to well-drained areas even if near wetlands or water bodies (FSU Herbarium). It thrives in frequently burned areas (FSU Herbarium).

Associated species include P. commutatum (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

It flowers April-September and fruits April-October in Florida (FSU Herbarium).

Fire ecology

This species has been found in previously burned pine woods and annually burned savanna, so it is fire tolerant (FSU Herbarium).

Photo Gallery

References and notes

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, Charles N. Horn, R. Kral, Raymond Athey, Sidney McDaniel, William J. Clark, H. R. Reed, D J Banks, Ken E. Rogers, Steve Furr, A. E. Radford, R. L. Wilbur, R.K. Godfrey, H. Kurz, Gary R. Knight, R. Komarek, and R. A. Norris. States and Counties: Alabama: Baldwin and Lee. Florida: Franklin, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, and Wakulla. Georgia: Ben Hill, Dougherty, Grady, and Thomas. Kentucky: Crittenden. Louisiana: Jackson and Ouachita. Mississippi: Lauderdale and Pearl River. South Carolina: Greenwood and Laurens. Tennessee: Knox. Texas: Van Zandt.