Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium

Common names: Little bluestem Broom beardgrass Broom bluestem Schizachyrium à balais
Synonyms: Schizachyrium scoparium var. polycladus Schizachyrium scoparium var. neomexicanum Schizachyrium scoparium var. frequens Schizachyrium neomexicanum Andropogon scoparius var. septentrionalis Andropogon scoparius var. neomexicana Andropogon scoparius var. frequens Schizachyrium stoloniferum var. wolfei
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 670.

Plants usually cespitose, sometimes producing short rhizomes. Culms 30-210 cm. Sheaths usually glabrous, keeled; blades 9-45 cm long, 1.5-9 mm wide, flat, usually glabrous, occasionally pubescent. Peduncles to 10 cm; rames 2-8 cm, with 6-13 spikelets, exserted. Sessile spikelets 6-11 mm; calluses about 0.5 mm, hairs to 2.5 mm, awns 2.5-17 mm; Pedicels 3-7.5 mm, straight or curving out at maturity. Pedicellate spikelets usually 1-6 mm, sterile, without lemmas, occasionally staminate and with a lemma, unawned or awned, awns to 4 mm.

Distribution

Minn., Wash., Del., Wis., W.Va., Kans., Mo., N.Dak., Nebr., Okla., S.Dak., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Conn., Mass., Maine, N.H., N.Y., R.I., Vt., Fla., Wyo., N.J., N.Mex., Tex., La., N.C., S.C., Pa., D.C., Ill., Ohio, Tenn., Va., Colo., Calif., Ala., Ark., Ga., Ind., Iowa, Ariz., Idaho, Md., Utah, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., N.S., Ont., Que., Sask., Mich., Mont., Miss., Ky.

Discussion

Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium grows in a variety of soils and in open habitats. It was once a dominant component of the prairie grasslands that extended through the central plains of North America and into Mexico, but it has largely been replaced by fields of maize, wheat, sorghum, sunflowers, and field mustard. It is the most variable of the varieties recognized within S. scoparium, with morphological features that vary inde¬pendently and continuously across its range, coming together in distinctive combinations in some regions. Some of these phases have been named as varieties, or even species, but they have proven to be untenable taxonomic entities when plants from throughout the range of the species are considered.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number."/8" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."/2" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

fimbriate +  and cupulate +
anatomy +  and kranz +
J.K. Wipff +
(Michx.) Nash +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
divergent +  and parallel +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
pseudopetiolate +
non-radiate +  and radiate +
well-developed +
9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br /> (45 cm450 mm <br />0.45 m <br />) +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
usually linear +  and lanceolate occasionally ovate +
reduced +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
spikelike +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +
narrowed +  and elongate +
Little bluestem +, Broom beardgrass +, Broom bluestem +  and Schizachyrium à balais +
branching +  and not rooting +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (210 cm2,100 mm <br />2.1 m <br />) +
ascending +  and erect +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (210 cm2,100 mm <br />2.1 m <br />) +
not woody +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Minn. +, Wash. +, Del. +, Wis. +, W.Va. +, Kans. +, Mo. +, N.Dak. +, Nebr. +, Okla. +, S.Dak. +, Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +, Conn. +, Mass. +, Maine +, N.H. +, N.Y. +, R.I. +, Vt. +, Fla. +, Wyo. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, La. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Pa. +, D.C. +, Ill. +, Ohio +, Tenn. +, Va. +, Colo. +, Calif. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Ga. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ariz. +, Idaho +, Md. +, Utah +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Mich. +, Mont. +, Miss. +  and Ky. +
capillary +
sometimes longer +
concealing +
1 +  and 2 +
compressed +  and terete +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
lanceolate +  and linear +
unequal +
membranous +
uncinate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
bracteate +  and ebracteate +
pedunculate +  and multiple-stalked +
solid +  and hollow +
filiform +  and clavate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
photosynthetic +
not aromatic +
awned +, bifid +  and bilobed +
coriaceous +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
2-keeled +  and convex +
complex +  and simple +
concealed +  and prominent +
pedicellate +
curving +  and straight +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.75 cm7.5 mm <br />0.0075 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.75 cm7.5 mm <br />0.0075 m <br />) +
0.1mm +  and 0.2mm +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +  and 10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (?) +
dry +  and fleshy +
elongate +
staminate +, pedicellate +  and sessile +
in triplets +  and paired +
compressed +
usually smaller +  and reduced +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
fused +  and free +
2 +  and 3 +
dome--shaped +  and triangular +
Schizachyrium scoparium var. polycladus +, Schizachyrium scoparium var. neomexicanum +, Schizachyrium scoparium var. frequens +, Schizachyrium neomexicanum +, Andropogon scoparius var. septentrionalis +, Andropogon scoparius var. neomexicana +, Andropogon scoparius var. frequens +  and Schizachyrium stoloniferum var. wolfei +
Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium +
Schizachyrium scoparium +
variety +
sessile-pedicellate +
green +  and purplish +
perennial +  and annual +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +