genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s of the grass family, Poaceae. They are known commonly as rosette grasses and panicgrasses.''Dichanthelium''. USDA PLANTS.
Taxonomy
Formerly a subgenus of the genus ''
Panicum
''Panicum'' (panicgrass) is a large genus of about 450 species of grasses native throughout the tropical regions of the world, with a few species extending into the northern temperate zone. They are often large, annual or perennial grasses, growi ...
'', ''Dichanthelium'' was elevated to genus status in 1974. Its species are still treated as members of ''Panicum'' by some authorities, because the two genera are very similar in form. Molecular data support the recognition of ''Dichanthelium'' as a separate genus.Freckmann, R. W. and M. G. Lelong ''Dichanthelium''. The Grass Manual. Flora of North America.
The name ''Dichanthelium'' originates from the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
for "twice-flowering", in reference to the vernal and autumnal growth phases.
Description
These are perennial grasses, sometimes with rhizomes. The grasses may overwinter as rosettes of short, wide leaves and then produce longer, wider leaves on the stem during spring. They produce hollow stems a few centimeters tall to well over one meter. They are upright to erect when new, then sometimes sprawling, spreading, and bending as the season progresses. The upper stems may have a few main branches that divide into smaller branches bearing panicles. There are primary panicles, which may be
chasmogamous
Chasmogamy, is a plant reproductive mechanism in which pollination occurs in chasmogamous flowers. Chasmogamous flowers are commonly showy with open petals encircling exposed reproductive parts. Chasmogamous stems from Greek for "open marriage", na ...
, and secondary panicles, which are often
cleistogamous
Cleistogamy is a type of automatic self-pollination of certain plants that can propagate by using non-opening, self-pollinating flowers. Especially well known in peanuts, peas, and pansies, this behavior is most widespread in the grass family. How ...
. The spikelets are roughly 1 to 5 millimeters long and lack awns.
In the Chicago area, ''Dichanthelium'' is considered the most emblematic genus of the
Gulf
A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodies ...
Dichanthelium lanuginosum
''Dichanthelium lanuginosum'' is a species of rosette grass native to North America. It is most common in the central and eastern United States. It is found in a variety of habitats, mostly in open, dry areas.
A variety, ''D. lanuginosum'' var. ...
Dichanthelium scoparium
''Dichanthelium scoparium'' is a species of grass known by the common names velvet panicum, velvety panicgrass, and broom panicgrass. It is native to North America, where it occurs in the southeastern United States. It also occurs in the West Ind ...