genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of plants in the
grass family
Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...
. The name is derived from the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States, members of the genus are commonly known as bluestems.
Schizachyrium delicatum
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
Schizachyrium exile
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
Schizachyrium fragile
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
'' (R.Br.) A.Camus - southern China, Vietnam, Java, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Micronesia
* ''
Schizachyrium gaumeri
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
'' Nash - Yucatán Peninsula, Chiapas
* ''
Schizachyrium gracile
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
Schizachyrium gracilipes
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
Schizachyrium gresicola
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
'' Jacq.-Fél - Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria
* ''
Schizachyrium hatschbachii
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
'' Peichoto - Brazil, northern Argentina
* ''
Schizachyrium impressum
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
'' (Hack.) A.Camus - Jammu & Kashmir
* ''
Schizachyrium jeffreysii
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
Schizachyrium kwiluense
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United State ...
'' Vanderyst ex Robyns - Zaïre, Congo Republic
* ''
Schizachyrium lomaense
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
'' A.Camus - Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast
* ''
Schizachyrium lopollense
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
'' (Rendle) Sales- Angola, Zambia, Mozambique
* '' Schizachyrium maclaudii'' (Jacq.-Fél.) S.T.Blake - West Africa
* ''
Schizachyrium malacostachyum
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
'' (J.Presl) Nash - Mesoamerica, Colombia, West Indies
* ''
Schizachyrium nodulosum
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
'' (Hack.) Stapf - western + central Africa
* ''
Schizachyrium occultum
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
Schizachyrium sanguineum
''Schizachyrium'' is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words (), meaning "to split," and (), meaning "chaff." It refers to either the glume or the toothed lemmas.
In the United States ...
'' (Retz.) Alston – Crimson bluestem - tropical Africa, tropical Asia, New Guinea, Latin America, West Indies, USA (AZ NM TX FL GA AL)
* '' Schizachyrium scabriflorum'' (Rupr. ex Hack.) A.Camus - Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina, southern Brazil
* '' Schizachyrium schweinfurthii'' (Hack.) Stapf - tropical Africa
* '' Schizachyrium scintillans'' Stapf - tropical Africa
* ''
Schizachyrium scoparium
''Schizachyrium scoparium'', commonly known as little bluestem or beard grass, is a species of North American prairie grass native to most of the contiguous United States (except California, Nevada, and Oregon) as well as a small area north of t ...
'' (Michx.) Nash – Little bluestem - widespread in Canada + USA + Mexico
* '' Schizachyrium semitectum'' (Swallen) Reeder - Mexico, Guatemala
* '' Schizachyrium spicatum'' (Spreng.) Herter - Uruguay, Paraguay, northern Argentina, southern Brazil
* '' Schizachyrium stoloniferum'' Nash - USA (MS AL GA FL NC SC)
* '' Schizachyrium sulcatum'' (Ekman) S.T.Blake - Colombia, Bolivia, western Brazil
* '' Schizachyrium tenerum'' Nees – Slender bluestem - USA (OK TX LA MS AL FL GA NC)
* '' Schizachyrium thollonii'' (Franch.) Stapf - tropical Africa
* '' Schizachyrium urceolatum'' (Hack.) Stapf - tropical Africa
* '' Schizachyrium yangambiense'' Germ. - Zaïre
Some species formerly included in ''Schizachyrum'' are now considered better suited to other genera: ''
Andropogon
''Andropogon'' ( common names: beard grass, bluestem grass, broomsedge) is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family, native to much of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as southern Europe and various oceanic islands.
Over 100 spec ...
'', ''
Dichanthium
''Dichanthium'', known commonly as bluestem or bluegrass, is a genus of African, Asian, and Australian plants in the grass family.
Some species have become naturalized in the Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively cal ...
'', ''
Rottboellia
''Rottboellia'' (commonly called itch grass) is a genus of African, Asian, and Australian plants in the grass family.
The genus was named in honour of Danish botanist Christen Friis Rottbøll (1727-1797).
; Species
* ''Rottboellia cochinchin ...
'', ''
Sehima
''Sehima'' is a genus of mostly Asian and African plants in the grass family.Sphaerocaryum
''Sphaerocaryum'' is a genus of Asian plants in the grass family. The only known species is ''Sphaerocaryum malaccense'', native to southern China, Indochina, the Indian Subcontinent, Peninsular Malaysia, Philippines, and Sumatra. (''Isachne pulc ...