Erianthus giganteus

Get help with this component

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:Erianthus giganteus (Walter) P. Beauv.
Common Name:Giant Plume Grass; Sugarcane Plume Grass
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Giant Plume Grass is a native herbaceous perennial in the Grass family (Poaceae). It occurs statewide in Alabama. Giant Plume Grass is one of six species of Saccharum native to Alabama, and is related to cultivated Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). This species is found in wetlands such as beaver ponds, river swamps, wet ditches, and sloughs. Giant Plume Grass is the largest of the Plume Grasses, often reaching a height of ten to twelve feet. It also has the largest panicle of any of the other native species. Each fruit (grain) has a long straight awn up to one inch in length. The ligule (a thin outgrowth between the sheath and blade of the leaf) is pubescent with long hairs. When in flower the panicle is narrow and pinkish. When the fruit mature the panicle is “fluffy” and tan in color. Giant Plume Grass can be grown in any wet spot receiving full sunlight. It is spectacular along the margins of a pond, and can be used as a specimen plant grown with other water-loving natives. It is available from some native plant nurseries, and a selection known as “Red Mountain” has very pink panicles when in flower. --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 Erianthus
Species Erianthus giganteus (Walter) P. Beauv. - Giant Plume Grass; Sugarcane Plume Grass

Citation

Citation Erianthus giganteus (Walter) P. Beauvois, Ess. Agrostogr. 14, 151, 177. 1812.
Basionym: Anthoxanthum giganteum Walter 1788.
Type: USA: SOUTH CAROLINA: Without data, Walter s.n. (neotype: BM). Neotypified by Hitchcock, Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 16: 33. 1905; D. B. Ward, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 410. 2007.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Erianthus giganteus var. compactus    
Erianthus saccharoides    
Saccharum giganteum Saccharum giganteum (Walter) Pers., Syn. Pl. 1: 103. 1805.Anthoxanthum giganteum Walter 1788. 

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, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Macon, Marengo, Marion, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Washington, Wilcox

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

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

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1934 - 1997

Barcode / Accession No.
County
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UNA00004358 Autauga 24 Sep 1934 Harper, Roland M.
3272		 UNA
Erianthus giganteus (Walt.) P. Beauv.
AUA000020100 Autauga 18 Oct 2006 SPAULDING, DANIEL D.
12535		 AUA
SACCHARUM GIGANTEUM (WALT.) PERS.
UWAL0008989 Autauga 18 Oct 2006 Spaulding, Daniel D.
12535		 UWAL
Erianthus giganteus (Walt.) Beauv.
TROY000027370 Autauga 18 Oct 2006 Spaulding, Daniel D.
12535		 TROY
Saccharum brevibarbe (Michaux) Persoon
UWAL0046566 Autauga 11 Nov 2016 Parker, Matthew R.
291		 UWAL
Saccharum giganteum (Walter) Persoon
TROY000045098 Autauga 11 Nov 2016 Parker, Matthew R.
291		 TROY
Saccharum giganteum (Walter) Persoon
UNA00004343 Baldwin 03 Oct 1947 Lueth, Francis X.
L98		 UNA
Erianthus giganteus (Walt.) P. Beauv.
UNA00004343 Baldwin 3 Oct 1947 Lueth, Francis X.
L98		 UNA
Erianthus giganteus (Walt.) P. Beauv.
SAMF0008100 Baldwin 22 Oct 1969 Kral, R.
38209		 SAMF
Erianthus giganteus (Walter) P. Beauvois
UWAL0044165 Baldwin 02 Oct 2001 Larsen, Harry S.
930		 UWAL
Erianthus giganteus (Walter) P. Beauv.
First Page Previous Page Next Page Last Page
Records per Page: