Poaceae
Sorghastrum

Sorghastrum stipoides (Kunth) Nash

First published in N.L.Britton & al. (eds.), N. Amer. Fl. 17: 129 (1912)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte. It is used as animal food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 500–2000 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Cauca, Meta, Nariño, Tolima.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: shrubland.
[UPFC]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 500 - 2000 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136661279/136661297

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms 90-200 cm long. Culm-internodes thin-walled. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 15-50 cm long; 3-7(-12) mm wide; stiff.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Panicle open; linear to lanceolate; 15-40 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at lower nodes. Panicle branches capillary. Racemes bearing few fertile spikelets; 1-4 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4-6(-6.5) mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4-6(-6.5) mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; dark brown; without keels; 9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins. Fertile lemma oblong; 4-6 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.2 of lemma length; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight, or geniculate; (0-)4-13(-25) mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous, or hispidulous. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; glabrous.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. North America: Mexico. South America: Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FTEA.
[GB]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, up to 1·5 m. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Spikelets light brown to straw coloured
Ecology
River flood plains.
[FWTA]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0