Andropogon glomeratus
bushy beardgrass, bushy bluestem
20-250 cm;
internodes green, sometimes glaucous;
branches mostly erect, straight.
usually scabrous, sometimes smooth;
ligules 0.6-2.2 mm, sometimes ciliate, cilia to 0.9 mm;
blades 13-109 cm long, 2.9-9.5 mm wide, glabrous or sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs usually spreading, rarely appressed.
10-600 per culm; subtending sheaths (2.0)2.9-4.4(6.5) cm long, (1.5)2.3-3.4(4.4) mm wide;
peduncles (1)6-14(60) mm, with 2(4) rames;
rames (1)1.7-2.5(3.5) cm, exserted or not at maturity, pubescence sparse basally and increasing in density distally within each internode.
spikelets 3-5 mm;
callus hairs 1-2.5 mm;
keels of lower glumes sometimes scabrous below midlength, usually scabrous distally;
awns 6-19 mm;
anthers 1(3), 0.5-1.5 mm, yellow, red, or purple.
spikelets vestigial or absent, sterile.
= 20.
Andropogon glomeratus
Andropogon glomeratus hybridizes with both A. longiberbis and A. virginicus. Some of its varieties are morphologically similar to the latter species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Blades glaucous, glabrous, and smooth | var. glaucopsis |
1. Blades green, often pubescent or scabrous | → 2 |
2. Sheaths subtending the inflorescence units 1.5-3 mm wide; leaf sheaths usually smooth; ligules ciliate, the cilia 0.2-0.9 mm long | var. pumilus |
2. Sheaths subtending the inflorescence units (1.5)2.3-3.4(4.4) mm wide; leaf sheaths often scabrous; ligules, when ciliate, with the cilia no more than 0.5 mm long. | → 3 |
3. Keels of the lower glumes scabrous below and beyond midlength | var. scabriglumis |
3. Keels of the lower glumes usually smooth below midlength, scabrous distally. | → 4 |
4. Upper portion of the plants oblong to obpyramidal; mature peduncles (4)11-35(60) mm long; anthers eventually falling | var. glomeratus |
4. Upper portion of the plants cylindrical to oblong; mature peduncles 2-5 (8) mm long; withered remnants of anthers retained within the spikelets | var. hirsutior |
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