Andropogon virginicus
Andropogon ternarius
broom sedge, broomsedge bluestem
splitbeard bluestem
40-210 cm;
internodes glaucous or not;
branches erect to ascending, usually straight, sometimes arching.
70-150 cm.
usually smooth, rarely somewhat scabrous;
ligules 0.2-1 mm, ciliate, cilia 0.2-1.3 mm;
blades 11-52 cm long, 1.7-6.5 mm wide, smooth and glabrous or sparsely to densely pubescent with spreading hairs.
smooth or scabrous, sometimes pilose;
ligules 0.4-1.5 mm, ciliate;
blades 1-3 mm wide, pubescent or glabrous and glaucous.
6-195 per culm; subtending sheaths (2.1)3.1-4.6(6.7) cm long, (1.7)3-3.8(5.6) mm wide;
peduncles usually (1)4-6(30) mm, with 2-7 rames;
rames (0.5)1.7-2.8(4.4) cm, sometimes exerted at maturity, pubescence sparse basally and increasing in density distally within each internode.
2-30+ per culm;
peduncles usually 5-20 mm, with (1)2 rames;
rames 3-4 cm, exerted at maturity, terminating in a sessile-pedicellate spikelet pair;
internodes sparsely to densely villous, hairs from as long as to twice as long as the sessile spikelets.
spikelets (2.6)3.5-3.8(4.7) mm;
callus hairs 1-3 mm;
keels of lower glume usually smooth below midlength, scabrous distally;
awns 6-21 mm;
anthers 1(3), 0.6-1.5 mm, yellow or purple.
spikelets 4.5-8.4 mm;
callus hairs to 8 mm;
awns 10-25 mm;
anthers 3,1.2-2.3 mm.
spikelets vestigial to absent.
spikelets 1.5-3.6 mm, sterile.
= 20.
= 40, 60.
Andropogon virginicus
Andropogon ternarius
Andropogon virginicus is native from the southeastern United States to northern South America, but has become established outide its native range in California, Hawaii, Japan, and Australia. Three varieties are recognized, two of which contain morphologically distinct variants. Andropogon virginicus hybridizes with A. glomeratus and A. longiberbis (Campbell 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Andropogon ternarius grows in the southeastern United States and northern Mexico. It is planted as an ornamental and for erosion control on slopes in poor and sandy soils, and is tolerant of coastal conditions.
Andropogon ternarius is similar to A. arctatus but differs in its possession of three anthers and usually in its longer spikelets, both sessile and pedicellate.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaves bluish-green, more or less strongly glaucous | var. glaucus |
1. Leaves green, sometimes somewhat glaucous. | → 2 |
2. Sheaths subtending the inflorescence units (1.7)2.4-3.1(4) mm wide; inflorescences units usually with 2 rames; rames (1.3)1.5-2.3(3) cm long; peduncles (1) 4-9 (30) mm long | var. decipiens |
2. Sheaths subtending the inflorescences units (2.2)3.3-4.4(5.6) mm wide; inflorescence units with 2-5(7) rames; rames (0.5)1.9-3.3(4.4) cm long; peduncles (2)3-6(12) mm long | var. virginicus |
1. Rames densely villous, with hairs about twice as long as the sessile spikelets and more or less obscuring them; lower glumes of the sessile spikelets sometimes scabrous, without conspicuous veins between the keels | var. cabanisii |
1. Rames sparsely villous, with hairs about as long as the sessile spikelets, but not obscuring them; lower glumes of the sessile spikelets scabrous, often conspicuously 2-veined between the keels | var. ternarius |
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