Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
FAMILY
Poaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
The common name is not helpful, as the spikelets are not particularly round. More helpful is the overall gestalt: Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25 (2003)
Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-81-055:
Panicum sphaerocarpon FAMILY Poaceae
INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Panicum sphaerocarpon var. inflatum
INCLUDING Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Panicum sphaerocarpon var. sphaerocarpon
INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Panicum sphaerocarpon var. inflatum
INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Panicum sphaerocarpon var. sphaerocarpon
COMMON NAME:
Round-fruited Witchgrass, Roundseed Witchgrass
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_pasp8_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_pasp8_002_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm230531_3613
May Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmdspherocarpon_cabin
May Clarendon County SC
Panicle 4-13cm long, branches spreading-ascending. Spikelets 1.4-1.6mm, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm190604_8949
June Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
Related to D polyanthes but that inflorescence distinctly narrower & longer, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
JK Marlow jkm190604_8952
June Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6037
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6037b
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6229
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Well-developed basal rosette, slender stem to 1.5' tall, only 3-4 stem leaves...
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6235
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
..and a generally triangular inflorescence (more than half as wide as long), per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_66232
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Nodes glabrous or sparsely hairy, per The Grasses of North Carolina (Blomquist, 1948).
)
JK Marlow jkm200627_06258
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Nodes upwardly bearded, internodes glabrous, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm200627_6246
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Sheaths glabrous, margins papilose-ciliate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm200627_6250
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm200627_6252
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 25
Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-81-055:
Panicum sphaerocarpon
FAMILY
Poaceae
INCLUDING
Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Panicum sphaerocarpon var. inflatum
INCLUDING
Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Panicum sphaerocarpon var. sphaerocarpon
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Panicum sphaerocarpon var. inflatum
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Panicum sphaerocarpon var. sphaerocarpon
2424
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Habitat: Moist or dry thin woods, meadows, and ditches, often in dry sandy soil, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate, 2-ranked, and often a basal rosette of overwintering leaves
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Early-season ("spring") panicles terminal; later "autumnal" panicles are lateral
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Grain yellowish/Purplish
Grain
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".