Green sprangletop

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Green sprangletop

Green sprangletop spikelets

Green sprangletop

Green sprangletop spikelets

Green sprangletop leaves

Green sprangletop inflorescence

Green sprangletop ligule

Green sprangletop

Morphology

Culm

Erect or ascending, unbranched above base, wiry, sometimes basally soft-hairy.

Blades

Flat, occasionally folded, 2 to 14+ inches long, 1/12 to 1/3 inch wide, glabrous, rough, or slightly hairy, especially on upper surface; tip tapering to long point.

Sheath

Sometimes longer than internodes, flat, glabrous or lowermost sparsely hairy; collar occasionally soft-hairy.

Ligule

Membranous, 1/50 to /16 inch long, margin short-fringed.

Inflorescence

Panicle of 4-15 spike-like branches, open, nodding, 3.2 to 18 inches long; branches well-separated, slender, erect or ascending, 1 to 6 inches long; turning pale at maturity.

Spikelets

Overlapping on 1 side of rachis; short-stalked; usually 3-8-flowered, strongly flattened, 1/6 to 2/5 inch long, light brown to olive green; glumes nearly equal, lanceolate; tip sharply pointed; lemmas egg-shaped, 1/8 to 1/5 inch long, membranous, glabrous or basally silky-hairy; tip blunt, often minutely notched, awnless.

Ecology

Habitat

Banks of streams and rivers, margins of lakes and ponds, rocky slopes; well-drained sandy or rocky soils.

Distribution

Scattered; somewhat uncommon in Kansas.

Reproduction

By seeds and tillers.

Practical Information

Forage Value

Moderately palatable. Provides fair to good grazing and hay, but is seldom abundant.

Uses

Sparrows and finches eat the seeds. Germinates and grows rapidly, so often used for erosion control.

Additional Notes