Poaceae
Schizachyrium

Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash

First published in J.K.Small, Fl. S.E. U.S.: 59 (1903)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Canada to Mexico. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

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 absent, or short. Culms 50-150 cm long. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface to hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-3 mm long. Leaf-blades 15-30 cm long; 3-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous to hirsute. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence compound; linear. Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary; subtended by a spatheole; exserted. Spatheole linear; 4-6 cm long; herbaceous. Racemes 1; single; sinuous; 3-6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete; ciliate on margins, or villous on margins. Rhachis internodes clavate. Rhachis internode tip cupuliform; with scarious rim. Spikelets ascending, or spreading; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; curved; ciliate, or villous.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes, or well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas, or containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 1.5-7 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; muticous, or awned; one glume awned; with 1.5-3 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6-8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; inserted. Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes, or well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas, or containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 1.5-7 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; muticous, or awned; one glume awned; with 1.5-3 mm long awn. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 2; enclosed by glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6-8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; inserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along; keeled laterally; keeled obtusely. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct; 3 in number. Lower glume surface flat, or concave. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; hyaline; 2 -veined. Fertile lemma oblong; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.5 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 8-15 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India. Pacific: north-central. North America: western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico.
Reference
Andropogoneae. Fl Pak 1993.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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 2025. 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images