Dichanthelium malacophyllum
Plants cespitose, with caudices. Basal rosettes well-differentiated; blades 2-4 cm, ovate to lanceolate. Culms 20-70 cm, usually 1-2 mm thick, erect; nodes retrorsely bearded; internodes puberulent and densely pubescent with soft, spreading to retrorse hairs, hairs papillose-based, papillae small; fall phase branching from the mid- and upper culm nodes, ultimately much rebranched, with short, bushy clumps of blades and small, included secondary panicles, this branching beginning before the the primary panicles are exserted. Cauline leaves 5-6; sheaths not overlapping, pubescence not as dense as on the culms; collars puberulent; ligules 0.5-1 mm, of hairs, bases of the hairs forming a thickened ring, pseudoligules of 1-3 mm hairs also present; blades 5-10 cm long, 6-12 mm wide, lax, both surfaces velvety pubescent, with 9 or 11 major veins, these only slightly more prominent than the minor veins, bases rounded, margins ciliate. Primary panicles 3-7 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, tardily and shortly exserted; rachises and branches densely pubescent. Spikelets 2.5-3.2 mm long, 1.5-1.6 mm wide, broadly ellipsoid-obovoid, turgid, with papillose-based hairs, sometimes pilose. Lower glumes 1-1.6 mm, strongly veined, acute; upper glumes strongly veined, often purplish, especially towards the bases; lower florets sterile; upper florets minutely umbonate. 2n = 18.
Distribution
Kans., Okla., Tex., Mo., Tenn., Ark., Ill., Ky.
Discussion
Dichanthelium malacophyllum usually grows in cedar glades, on dry limestone soils. It is restricted to the United States. The primary panicles are briefly open-pollinated from late May to early June; the secondary panicles, which are produced from June to November, are cleistogamous. The species occasionally intergrades, and perhaps hybridizes, with D. oligosanthes and D. acuminatum.
Selected References
None.