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Poaceae, Chloridoideae, Eragrostideae - Sprangletop

(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)

Waves of Grain Index - Grass

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tribe Eragrostideae

Green Sprangletop Leptochloa dubia

Culm has edges.  Excellent forage for cattle; they will eat it first.

Photos taken in Floyd County, Texas, August 2007

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, September 2007

(Cultivated, native of Texas - Taylor)

Base: perennial, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): 2-8mm wide, 5-30cm long, inrolling on drying

Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): lower sheaths laterally compressed and keeled

Culm (main grain stem): erect, 30-110cm tall, unbranched above base

Inflorescence: 5-20cm long, with 2-15 spreading branches 4-12cm long

Spikelet: appressed, somewhat flattened, almost no pedicel

Glume: longer than first floret

Lemma: spreading, red tipped

 


Other Species In My Area

Bearded Sprangletop Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis (Leptochloa fascicularis)

(Native of Texas - Taylor)

Base: Summer annual, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): narrow leaves radiate from base, 8" long, 3/8" wide, white midvein

Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): hairless and loose, papery ligule

Culm (main grain stem): decumbent at base, 18" long, branching, variable color of white, green, reddish, can root at lower nodes, nodes darker and dull. 

Inflorescence: Open panicle, 8" long, with stiff straight spreading branches 3 1/2"  long, rough texture

Spikelet: appressed, somewhat flattened, almost no pedicel, about 1/4" long

Glume: linear-lanceolate, keels, green midveins

Lemma: 5-10, linear-lanceolate, keels, green midveins, 2 green lateral veins, tiny awn

 

Mucronate Sprangletop Leptochloa panicea ssp. mucronata (Leptochloa attenuata, Leptochloa filiformis, Leptochloa mucronata)

Short grass with large inflorescence and tiny spikelets.

(Native of Texas - Taylor, Jones, Nolan, Coleman, Brown, Eastland)

Base: Summer annual, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)

Blade (leaf): smooth or slightly rough above, some long hairs, 5-45cm long, 3-10mm wide, purple midvein and base

Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): purple, rough and hairy on upper half, hairy ligule

Culm (main grain stem):  erect or branching, can get up to 3 feet tall but often much shorter, purple

Inflorescence: Open panicle half the length of culm, 6-30cm long, purple turning tan, furrowed, slightly rough,

Branches: numerous, solitary or clusters up to five, 5-10cm long

Spikelet: tiny, short pedicels, purple

Glume: longer than first floret, hairs on midnerve

Lemma: glabrous, tiny awns

 


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