The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Photo is of parent taxon
Photo is of parent taxon

bushy bluestem

Habit Plants usually oblong in the upper portion, sometimes cylindrical. Plants oblanceolate to obpyramidal in the upper portion.
Culms

1.2-2.2 m;

internodes glaucous.

to 2.5 m, but as short as 20 cm in poor soils;

internodes not glaucous.

Sheaths

(1.3)2.3-3.1(4.7) mm wide, usually smooth;

ligules ciliate or not, cilia to 0.2 mm;

blades glaucous, glabrous, smooth.

Leaf

sheaths usually smooth;

ligules ciliate, cilia 0.2-0.9 mm;

blades green, smooth or pubescent.

Subtending

sheaths of inflorescence units usually 2-2.5 mm wide;

peduncles shorter than 10 mm;

rames usually shorter than 2 cm, not exerted at maturity.

sheaths of inflorescence units (2)2.9-4.3(5.2) cm long, 1.5-3 mm wide;

peduncles (2)8-15(40) mm;

rames 1.3-3 cm, exerted.

Keels

of lower glumes usually scabrous beyond midlength.

of lower glumes usually smooth below midlength, scabrous distally;

anthers often retained within the spikelets.

Andropogon glomeratus var. glaucopsis

Andropogon glomeratus var. pumilus

Distribution
from USDA
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; NM; NV; OK; SC; TX; UT; VA; PR; Virgin Islands
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Andropogon glomeratus var. glaucopsis grows in flatwoods, bogs, ditches, swamps, pond margins, and swales of the southeastern coastal plain.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Andropogon glomeratus var. pumilus is weedy and grows in disturbed, wet or moist sites. It is abundant and widespread, extending from the southern United States through Central America to northern South America.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 25, p. 664. FNA vol. 25, p. 664.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Andropogoneae > Andropogon > sect. Leptopogon > Andropogon glomeratus Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Andropogoneae > Andropogon > sect. Leptopogon > Andropogon glomeratus
Sibling taxa
A. glomeratus var. glomeratus, A. glomeratus var. hirsutior, A. glomeratus var. pumilus, A. glomeratus var. scabriglumis
A. glomeratus var. glaucopsis, A. glomeratus var. glomeratus, A. glomeratus var. hirsutior, A. glomeratus var. scabriglumis
Synonyms A. virginicus var. glaucopsis, A. macrourus var. glaucopsis, A. glaucopsis A. virginicus var. tenuispatheus, A. virginicus forma tenuispatheus
Name authority (Elliott) C. Mohr (Vasey) L.H. Dewey
Web links