Dichanthelium laxiflorum

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Common Names

Description

Family Poaceae

Annual or perennial herbs, or tall woody bamboos . Flowering stems (culms ) jointed , internodes hollow or solid; branches arising singly from nodes and subtended by a leaf sheath and 2-keeled prophyll, often fascicled in bamboos. Leaves arranged alternately in 2 ranks , differentiated into sheath, blade , and an adaxial erect appendage at sheath/blade junction (ligule) ; leaf sheath surrounding and supporting culm-internode, split to base or infrequently tubular with partially or completely fused margins , modified with reduced blade in bamboos (culm sheaths) ; leaf blades divergent, usually long, narrow and flat, but varying from inrolled and filiform to ovate , veins parallel, sometimes with cross-connecting veinlets (especially in bamboos) ; ligule membranous or a line of hairs . Inflorescence terminal or axillary , an open, contracted , or spikelike panicle, or composed of lax to spikelike racemes arranged along an elongate central axis, or digitate, paired , or occasionally solitary; axillary inflorescences often many, subtended by spatheoles (specialized bladeless leaf sheaths) and gathered into a leafy compound panicle; spikelets often aggregated into complex clusters in bamboos. Spikelets composed of distichous bracts arranged along a slender axis (rachilla) ; typically 2 lowest bracts (glumes ) empty, subtending 1 to many florets ; glumes often poorly differentiated from accompanying bracts in bamboos. Florets composed of 2 opposing bracts enclosing a single small flower, outer bract (lemma) clasping the more delicate, usually 2-keeled inner bract (palea) ; base of floret often with thickened prolongation articulated with rachilla (callus) ; lemma often with apical or dorsal bristle (awn ), glumes also sometimes awned . Flowers bisexual or unisexual ; lodicules (small scales representing perianth) 2, rarely 3 or absent, 3 to many in bamboos, hyaline or fleshy ; stamens 3 rarely 1, 2, 6, or more in some bamboos, hypogynous, filaments capillary , anthers versatile; ovary 1-celled, styles (1 or) 2(rarely 3), free or united at base, topped by feathery stigmas, exserted from sides or apex of floret. Fruit normally a dry indehiscent caryopsis with thin pericarp firmly adherent to seed, pericarp rarely free, fleshy in some bamboos; embryo small or large; hilum punctate to linear .

About 700 genera and 11,000 species: widely distributed in all regions of the world.[1]

Physical Description

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 5,081 meters (0 to 16,670 feet).[2]

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Panicum dichotomum L. var. laxiflorum (Lam.) Beal
2. Panicum laxiflorum Lam.
3. Panicum laxiflorum var. strictirameum (A. S. Hitchc. & Chase) Fern.
4. Panicum xalapense Kunth

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

Members of the genus Dichanthelium

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 157 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

D. aciculare (Needleleaf Rosette Grass) · D. aciculare subsp. angustifolium · D. aciculare subsp. fusiforme · D. aciculare subsp. neuranthum · D. aciculare var. aciculare · D. aciculare var. ramosum · D. acuminatum (Hotsprings Rosette Grass) · D. acuminatum fasciculatum · D. acuminatum fo · D. acuminatum leucothrix · D. acuminatum lindheimeri (Lindheimer Panicgrass) · D. acuminatum sericeum · D. acuminatum subsp. columbianum · D. acuminatum subsp. fasciculatum · D. acuminatum subsp. implicatum · D. acuminatum subsp. leucothrix · D. acuminatum subsp. lindheimeri · D. acuminatum subsp. longiligulatum · D. acuminatum subsp. sericeum · D. acuminatum subsp. spretum · D. acuminatum subsp. thermale · D. acuminatum thermale · D. acuminatum var. acuminatum (Tapered Rosette Grass) · D. acuminatum var. fasciculatum (Tapered Rosette Grass) · D. acuminatum var. lindheimeri (Lindheimer Panicgrass) · D. acuminatum var. sericeum (Pacific Panicgrass) · D. acuminatum var. thermale (Geysers Panic Grass) · D. acuminatum var. thurowii (Thurow's Panicgrass) · D. aequivaginatum · D. angustifolium · D. annulum · D. auburne · D. boreale (Northern Panicgrass) · D. boscii (Bosc´s Panic Grass) · D. caerulescens · D. chamaelonche · D. chamaelonche subsp. breve · D. clandestinum (Deertongue Dichanthelium) · D. columbianum · D. commonsianum · D. commutatum (Variable Panicgrass) · D. commutatum commutatum · D. commutatum subsp. ashei · D. commutatum subsp. equilaterale · D. commutatum subsp. joorii · D. consanguineum (Blood Panicgrass) · D. cordovense · D. cucaense · D. cumbucanum · D. cynodon (Dog-Tooth Witchgrass) · D. depauperatum (Starved Panicgrass) · D. dichotomum (Cypress Panicgrass) · D. dichotomum lucidum · D. dichotomum subsp. lucidum · D. dichotomum subsp. mattamuskeetense · D. dichotomum subsp. microcarpon · D. dichotomum subsp. nitidum · D. dichotomum subsp. roanokense · D. dichotomum subsp. yadkinense · D. dichotomum var. breve (Cypress Panicgrass) · D. dichotomum var. dichotomum (Cypress Panicgrass) · D. dichotomum var. ensifolium (Cypress Panicgrass) · D. dichotomum var. glabrifolium (Cypress Panicgrass) · D. dichotomum var. nitidum · D. dichotomum var. ramulosum · D. dichotomum var. roanokense · D. dichotomum var. tenue (White-Margin Panic Grass) · D. ensifolium · D. ensifolium subsp. curtifolium · D. ensifolium var. ensifolium · D. erectifolium (Erect-Leaf Witchgrass) · D. fusiforme · D. hillebrandianum (Hillebrand's Witchgrass) · D. hillebrandtianum · D. hirstii (Hirsts' Panic Grass) · D. implicatum · D. isachnoides (Maui Rosette Grass) · D. itatiaiae · D. joori · D. koolauense (Koolau Rosette Grass) · D. lanuginosum · D. lanuginosum var. sericeum · D. lanuginosum var. spretum · D. latifolium (Broadleaf Rosette Grass) · D. laxiflorum (Openflower Rosette Grass) · D. leibergii (Leiberg's Rosette Grass) · D. leucoblepharis · D. leucothrix (Roughish Witchgrass) · D. lindheimeri · D. linearifolium (Slim-Leaf Rosette Grass) · D. longiligulatum (Coastal Plain Panicgrass) · D. lucidum · D. malacophyllum (Softleaf Rosette Grass) · D. mattamuskeetense · D. meridionale (Matting Rosette Grass) · D. microcarpon · D. nitidum · D. nodatum (Sarita Rosette Grass) · D. nudicaule · D. oligosanthes (Fewanther Obscuregrass)

More Info

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Further Reading

• Chen Shouliang, Jin Yuexing, Zhuang Tide, Fang Wenzhe, Sheng Guoying, Liu Liang, Wu Zhenlan, Lu Shenglian, Sun Bisin, Hu Zhihao, Wang Song, Sun Xiangzhong, Wang Huiqin, Yang Xilin, Wang Chaopin, Li Binggui & Wen Shaobin. 1990. Gramineae (Poaceae) (4). In: Chen Shouliang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 10(1):1401
• Chen Shouliang, Zhuang Tide, Fang Wenzhe, Sheng Guoying, Jin Yuexing, Liu Liang, Sun Bisin, Hu Zhihao & Wang Song. 1997. Gramineae (Poaceae) (5). In: Chen Shouliang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 10(2): 1301
• Liu Liang, Zhu Taiping, Chen Wenli, Wu Zhenlan & Lu Shenglian. Gramineae (Poaceae) (2). In: Liu Liang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 9(2): 1405
• Lu Sheng-lian, Sun Yong-hua, Liu Shang-wu, Yang Yong-chang, Wu Zhen-lan, Kuo Pen-chao, Yang Hsi-ling, Wang Chao-pin & Tsui Nai-ran. 1987. Gramineae (3). In: Kuo Pen-chao, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 9(3): 1329
• Wang Zhengping, Ye Guanghan, Yang Yaling, Yu Zehua, Hu Chenhua, Geng Bojie, Feng Xuelin, Jia Liangzhi, Xia Nianhe, Li Dezhu, Zhang Weiping, Xue Jiru, Zhu Zhengde, Zhao Qiseng, Chen Shouliang, Sheng Guoying, Chen Shaoyun, Yao Changyu, Lu Jionglin, Sun Jiliang, Lin Wantao, Yi Tongpei, Zhao Huiru, Wen Taihui & Dai Qihui. 1996. Gramineae (Poaceae) (1).

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 22, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 3 providers.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 21, 2007:

• Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad
• , Biodiversidad de Costa Rica
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database
• University of Alabama Biodiversity and Systematics, Herbarium
• Utah State University, USU-UTC Specimen Database

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2661638
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-41661
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13754111
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:398503-1
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 41661
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PMPOA240J0
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: DILA9
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 35151

Footnotes

1. Shou-liang Chen, De-Zhu Li, Guanghua Zhu, Zhenlan Wu, Sheng-lian Lu, Liang Liu, Zheng-ping Wang, Bi-xing Sun, Zheng-de Zhu, Nianhe Xia, Liang-zhi Jia, Zhenhua Guo, Wenli Chen, Xiang Chen, Yang Guangyao, Sylvia M. Phillips, Chris Stapleton, Robert J. Soreng, Susan G. Aiken, Nikolai N. Tzvelev, Paul M. Peterson, Stephen A. Renvoize, Marina V. Olonova & Klaus Ammann "Poaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 22. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. Mean = 322.940 meters (1,059.514 feet), Standard Deviation = 454.210 based on 1,035 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

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