broomsedge bluestem

Family

Poaceae

Scientific Name

Andropogon virginicus

Other Common Names:

broomsedge

Habit

Plants emerge in late spring to early summer and flower from summer to early autumn.

Leaves

Leaves are smooth with few hairs. There are no auricles and the ligule is membranous with a fringe of hair along the upper margin. Laf blades are folded at the base and sharply pointed at the tip.

Identifying Characteristics

Stems are flattend and branch near the top of the plant. They also have a fringe of hair at the nodes of the upper portion of the plant. The plant's collar region is divided by the midvien, narrow, and hairy at the edges.

Flower Seed Head

Flowers are in racemes in groups of 2-4. Two spiklets are at attachment one is fertile and has ans awn attached the other lacks the awn and is infertile. The inflorescence has silky hairs associated with it and is located the the sheathed axils of the upper leaves on the plant.

Seed Fruit

Seeds are elongated with one end being rounded the other pointed they are covered by a lemma with silky hairs attached.

Where Found

Broomsedge likes low fertility drought prone areas. It is usually found in sunny open spaces. It can be a problem in low maintence areas such as pastures, nursery crop land, and other perennial crops.