Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Presented in Association with the
Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences

Leptochloa panicea (Retzius) Ohwi subsp. brachiata (Steudel) N. Snow
(Red Sprangletop)


Family: Poaceae

Status: Native

Synonyms:
Leptochloa brachiata Steudel
Leptochloa filiformis (Lamarck) Beauvois
Leptochloa mucronata of NM authors

Leptochloa panicea subsp. brachiata is an annual with more than one floret per spikelet. The spikelets are quite small, only 2-3mm long. The leaf sheaths have bulbous based hairs. Leptochloa panicea subsp. brachiata is found on open rocky hillsides at lower elevation. Although Leptochloa panicea subsp. brachiata can superficially resemble Sporobolus cryptandrus, Leptochloa panicea subsp. brachiata has more than one floret per spikelet and the ligule is membranous.
Please click on an image for a larger file.



Leptochloa panicea, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Sycamore Canyon near Cliff, November 3, 2009



Leptochloa panicea, closeup of branch, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Sycamore Canyon near Cliff, November 3, 2009



Leptochloa panicea, closeup of branch spike, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Sycamore Canyon near Cliff, November 3, 2009



Leptochloa panicea, field macro of portion of branch spike, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Sycamore Canyon near Cliff, November 3, 2009



Leptochloa panicea, macro of spikelet, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Sycamore Canyon near Cliff, November 3, 2009



Leptochloa panicea, macro of glumes separated from florets, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Sycamore Canyon near Cliff, November 3, 2009



Leptochloa panicea, entire plant measured (ruler length is 15cm and note annual root system), photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Sycamore Canyon near Cliff, November 3, 2009



Leptochloa panicea, macro of ligule and bulbous based hairs on leaf sheath, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Sycamore Canyon near Cliff, November 3, 2009


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