Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:POACEAE
Species:Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash var. scoparium
Common Name:Common Little Bluestem; Little False Bluestem
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Common Little Bluestem is a native herbaceous perennial in the Grass family (Poaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Common Little Bluestem occurs in prairies, in pastures, in open pine forests, and in woodland openings. It is a perennial with a fibrous root system. Plants are usually cespitose, forming distinct clumps. Stems are 2-4 feet in height. Leaves are linear and usually glabrous. The leaf sheath is glabrous and keeled. Flowers are produced in pairs of spikelets arranged in a raceme. The spikelets are pubescent with long hairs. One spikelet of the pair is sessile, the other pedicellate. Sessile spikelets have 2 florets and the glumes exceed the florets in length. The upper floret is fertile and has 3 anthers. The lower floret is sterile and often consists of just a lemma. The lemmas have long twisted awns. The pedicellate spikelets lack a lemma. Pedicellate spikelets have one floret that is ether sterile or staminant. Pedicellate spikelets lack awns or have very short, straight awns. Common Little Bluestem occurs in a wide variety of habitats and can be extremely variable. It was once a major component of prairie grasslands and of the Longleaf Pine/Wiregrass community. Common Little Bluestem is often available from nurseries. A wide range of blue, green, and purple colored foliage selections are available. It is also available as seed and is recommended for a “filler” in wildflower meadows and prairie restoration projects. Common Little Bluestem tolerates a wide variety of soil and moisture types, but does require full sun. Plants should be cut back to near ground level or burned in the late winter to remove old foliage and promote vigorous new growth.—A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyPOACEAE - Grass family
Genus Schizachyrium
Species Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash var. scoparium - Common Little Bluestem; Little False Bluestem

Citation

Citation Schizachyrium scoparium (Michaux) Nash, var. scoparium, Fl. S.E. U.S. 59. 1903.
Basionym: Andropogon scoparius Michx. 1803.
Type: USA: Carolina

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Andropogon praematurus    
Andropogon scoparius    
Andropogon scoparius var. frequens    
Andropogon scoparius var. polycladus    

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Geneva, Greene, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lee, Lowndes, Marengo, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Wilcox

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1892 - 1986

Barcode / Accession No.
County
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UNA00003314 Autauga 29 Oct 1982 Gunn, Scott C.
1392		 UNA
Andropogon scoparius Michx.
JSU100765 Autauga 29 Oct 1982 Gunn, Scott C.
1387		 JSU
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michaux) Nash
UWAL0046596 Autauga 13 Oct 2016 Parker, Matthew R.
204		 UWAL
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michaux) Nash var. scoparium
TROY000045272 Autauga 13 Oct 2016 Parker, Matthew R.
204		 TROY
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michaux) Nash var. scoparium
UWAL0049821 Autauga 05 Oct 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
1333		 UWAL
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michaux) Nash var. scoparium
TROY000049726 Autauga 05 Oct 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
1333		 TROY
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michaux) Nash var. scoparium
TROY000049724 Autauga 19 Oct 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
1441		 TROY
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michaux) Nash var. scoparium
TROY000049727 Autauga 19 Oct 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
1378		 TROY
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michaux) Nash var. scoparium
AUA000024411 Baldwin 22 Oct 1998 SORRIE, BRUCE A.
10033		 AUA
SCHIZACHYRIUM SCOPARIUM (MICHX.) NASH
UWAL0043702 Baldwin 01 Nov 2000 West, Chan
595		 UWAL
Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium (Michx.) Nash
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