Andropogon glomeratus
Andropogon gracilis
bushy beardgrass, bushy bluestem
wire bluestem
20-250 cm;
internodes green, sometimes glaucous;
branches mostly erect, straight.
20-60 cm, wiry, glabrous.
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.
smooth;
ligules to 1.4 mm;
blades to 45 cm long, to 4 mm wide, involute and filiform, or folded.
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.
3-50+ per culm;
peduncles 2-13.2 cm, with 1 rame;
rames 2-4 cm, usually long-exserted at maturity;
internodes densely pubescent, hairs to 8 mm.
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 4-6 mm;
lower glumes scabrous in the distal 1/2;
awns 11-20 mm.
spikelets vestigial or absent, sterile.
spikelets reduced to an awned or unawned glume, sterile.
= 20.
= 40.
Andropogon glomeratus
Andropogon gracilis
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.)
Andropogon gracilis grows on oolite in openings and rocky margins of pine woodlands of southern Florida and the West Indies. Although not uncommon, it is frequently overlooked. It has sometimes been placed in Schizachyrium because of its solitary rames.
(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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