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Morphology
- Culm
- Erect or spreading from decumbent bases, simple or sparingly branched, hollow, pubescent near nodes.
- Blades
- Blades flat or folded, 2 to 10 inches long, 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide, surfaces and lower margins with long, soft hairs, midrib prominent.
- Sheath
- Usually longer than internodes, densely long-hairy.
- Ligule
- Short fringes of hairs.
- Inflorescence
- Panicles, open, spreading, 4 to 12 inches long, nearly as broad, frequently 1/2 length of entire plant, often partially enclosed in uppermost sheaths, usually purplish at maturity; branches numerous, slender, bearing spikelets near ends.
- Spikelets
- Long-stalked, 2-flowered, elliptic, about 1/10 inch long; tips sharp-pointed; glumes unequal; lemmas 1 fertile, 1 sterile; awns absent.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Waste ground, disturbed areas, cultivated fields, and roadsides, in dry or sandy soils.
- Distribution
- Throughout Kansas.
Practical Information
- Forage Value
- It provides little forage value and rarely is grazed. However, the fruits are an important food source for quail.
Additional Notes
Comments
Witchgrass is a weedy species that invades areas where there is little competition. After maturity, the panicles break off and roll like tumbleweeds.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Grass
- Family
- Poaceae - Grass Family
- Life Span
- Annual
- Height
- 8-28 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-09-09
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: July, August, September