Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 50-300 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaves cauline. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 20-90 cm long; 5-40 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Panicle open; lanceolate, or pyramidal; 10-55 cm long; 3-25 cm wide. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; moderately divided. Racemes 1.2-2.5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1-5 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes filiform. Rhachis internode tip transverse; cupuliform. 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 well-developed; male; lanceolate; 4.5-6.5 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 5 -veined; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4.5-5(-5.5) mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse.

Sterile

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; 4.5-6.5 mm long; as long as fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 5 -veined; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 4.5-5(-5.5) mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pubescent; base obtuse.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes dissimilar; with lower wider than upper; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; pallid, or dark brown, or red, or purple, or black; 2-keeled; keeled above. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex dentate; 3 -fid. Upper glume ovate; coriaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.8 length of spikelet; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2-2.5 mm long; hyaline; 1 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10-16 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent; hairy on the spiral. Palea present.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules 2; ciliate.

Distribution

Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

Reference

Andropogoneae. Fl Pak.

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

Naturalizada y adventicia en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2500 m.; Andes, Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

No Evaluada

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology

Alt. 0 - 2500 m.

Morphology General Habit

Herb.

Distribution

Introduced and naturalised in Colombia.

Conservation

Not Evaluated.

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology General Habit

Perrenial with vigorous spreading rhizomes

Morphology Culms

Culms 0.5-1.5 m long, 4-6 mm in diameter, nodes puberulous

Morphology Leaves

Leaf sheaths glabrous, blades linear or linear-lanceolate, 25-80 x 1-4 cm, glabrous, ligule 0.5-1 mm, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle lanceolate to pyramidal in outline, 20-40 cm, soft white hairs in basal axil; primary branches solitary or whorled, spreading, lower part bare, upper part branched, the secondary branches tipped by racemes, racemes fragile, composed of 2-5 spikelet pairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Pedicelled spikelet staminate, narrowly lanceolate, 4.5-7 mm, often violet-purple. Sessile spikelet elliptic, 4-5 mm, callus obtuse, bearded, lower glume sub-leathery, often pale yellow or yellowish brown at maturity, shortly pubescent or glabrescent, 5-7-veined, veins distinct in upper part, apex 3-denticulate, upper lemma acute and mucronate or 2-lobed and awned, awn 1-1.6 cm

Ecology

Streams, valleys, waste ground, and as a weed in fields.

Distribution

Native to North Africa, South-central and Western Asia.

Conservation

Least concerned.

Phenology

Flower (May-October), fruit (May-October).

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

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular

Johnson grass

Morphology General Habit

Perennial with numerous strong rhizomes. Culms erect, usually 1–1.5 m tall, with appressed-pubescent nodes

Morphology Leaves

Leaves elongate, mostly 1–1.5 cm broad, whitish-scabrous on the margins; sheaths shorter than the internodes, glabrous; ligule membranous, ciliate, ca. 2 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicles 15–30 cm long; spikelets 5 mm long, acute, entirely pale or often with a large red spot at base, the awn (when present) 1–1.5 cm long, deciduous.

Distribution

Grand Cayman. Widely naturalized in all warm countries, introduced from the Mediterranean region.

Ecology

A weed of fields and waste places.

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

canutillo, grama china, maicillo, pasto Johnson, pasto ruso, sorgo, sorguillo

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 200-300 cm long; 5-10 mm diam. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 30-90 cm long; 10-40 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Panicle open; ovate, or pyramidal; 25-55 cm long; 10-25 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 4-5 -nate; whorled at most nodes; 10-20 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous. Racemes 1-2.2 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2-5 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs white, or tawny; 0.5-1 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 2-4 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; flattened; 2-4 mm long; ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-6.5 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7-8 -veined; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes. Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; subacute; 4-5.5 mm long; 1.5-2.3 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse.

Sterile

Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5-6.5 mm long; longer than fertile; separately deciduous. Companion sterile spikelet glumes chartaceous; 7-8 -veined; muticous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; subacute; 4-5.5 mm long; 1.5-2.3 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes dissimilar; with lower wider than upper; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 8-12 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex dentate; 3 -fid. Upper glume ovate; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume margins scabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 3.5-5 mm long; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5-4 mm long; hyaline; 1 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; incised 0.2-0.25 of lemma length; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 10-16 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules 2; oblong; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.5-3.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

Distribution

Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia.

Reference

Andropogoneae. Snowden 1993.

Use Medicines

Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders

Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).