Andropogon gyrans
Andropogon glomeratus
Elliott's bluestem
bushy beardgrass, bushy bluestem
30-100 (140) cm;
internodes usually glaucous;
branches mostly erect, straight.
20-250 cm;
internodes green, sometimes glaucous;
branches mostly erect, straight.
smooth;
ligules 0.3-1.5 mm, sometimes ciliate, cilia to 0.7 mm;
blades 6-48 cm long, 0.8-5 mm wide, glabrous or densely pubescent with spreading hairs.
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.
2-31 per culm; subtending sheaths (2.6)4.1-4.5(13.5) cm long, (1.5)2.7-4.7(8) mm wide;
peduncles (1)5-31(195) mm, with 2-5 rames;
rames (1.5)2.8-4.2(6) cm, exserted or not at maturity, pubescence increasing in density distally within each internode.
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)3.9-4.7(5.7) mm;
callus hairs 1-5 mm;
keels of lower glumes scabrous only beyond midlength;
awns 8-24 mm;
anthers 1, 0.6-1.4(1.7) mm, yellow or purple.
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.
spikelets vestigial or absent, sterile.
= 20.
= 20.
Andropogon gyrans
Andropogon glomeratus
Andropogon gyrans extends from the southeastern United States to the Caribbean and Central America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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. Ligules 0.3-1.1 mm long; rames usually hidden within the more or less overlapping and inflated upper sheaths at maturity; plants usually of well-drained soils | var. gyrans |
1. Ligules 0.8-1.5 mm long; rames usually exposed at maturity; plants of wet habitats | var. stenophyllus |
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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