. Common plants of longleaf pine-bluestem range. Plant ecology; Grasses; Forage plants. ROUNDSEED PANICUM Panicum sphaerocarpon Ell. Although roundseed panicum has the seasonal vegetational variations of the low panicums, its fall and spring phases do not differ drastically. Thus, fall leaves are not greatly reduced or crowd- ed, and fall panicles are fully exserted above the leaves. This panicum is widely distributed through the piney woods, mainly on sandy soils, in association with the bluestems. Like other low panicums, it yields little forage, but quality is good. While resembling other l
. Common plants of longleaf pine-bluestem range. Plant ecology; Grasses; Forage plants. ROUNDSEED PANICUM Panicum sphaerocarpon Ell. Although roundseed panicum has the seasonal vegetational variations of the low panicums, its fall and spring phases do not differ drastically. Thus, fall leaves are not greatly reduced or crowd- ed, and fall panicles are fully exserted above the leaves. This panicum is widely distributed through the piney woods, mainly on sandy soils, in association with the bluestems. Like other low panicums, it yields little forage, but quality is good. While resembling other low panicums, its rela- tively broad leaves and tiny spikelets set it apart. Spring leaves are mostly 2 to 4 inches long, lance shaped, and about % inch wide. Except for a few long white hairs at the leaf blade base, the plant appears almost hairless. Usually there is no ligule. When fully expanded, spring panicles are conical and 2 to 4 inches long. Spikelets are generally purple and about 1/16 inch long. A variety, P. sphaerocarpon var. inflatum (Scribn. & Smith) Hitchc. & Chase, occurs and intergrades with typical roundseed panicum. The variety can usually be distinguished by its narrow- er, more nearly linear leaves with parallel margins, ligule with short hairs, and a freely branching fall phase. Range : Practically the entire eastern half of the United States from Texas and northern Florida to Kansas and Vermont; also reported from Mexico to Venezuela. Perennial. Vernal phase light green; culms 20-80 cm. tall, spreading, sometimes nearly erect, the nodes appressed- pubescent; sheaths, the upper shorter, the lower longer than the internodes, ciliate on the margin, sometimes with viscid tubercles between the nerves; ligule obsolete or nearly so; blades 5-10 cm. long, 7-12 mm. wide, the lowermost and uppermost shorter, thick, firm, acuminate, slightly narrowed to a subcordate base, margins cartilaginous and stiffly ciliate, often papillose; inflorescence a long-exsert
Size: 1188px × 2103px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, booksubjectforageplants, booksubjectgrasses
