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Grass Gallery
Poaceae, Chloridoideae, Eragrostideae - Sprangletop
(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)
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tribe Eragrostideae
Green Sprangletop Leptochloa dubia
Culm has edges. Excellent forage for cattle; they will eat it first.
Photos taken in Floyd County, Texas, August 2007
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, September 2007
(Cultivated, native of Texas - Taylor)
Base: perennial, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 2-8mm wide, 5-30cm long, inrolling on drying
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): lower sheaths laterally compressed and keeled
Culm (main grain stem): erect, 30-110cm tall, unbranched above base
Inflorescence: 5-20cm long, with 2-15 spreading branches 4-12cm long
Spikelet: appressed, somewhat flattened, almost no pedicel
Glume: longer than first floret
Lemma: spreading, red tipped
Other Species In My Area
Bearded Sprangletop Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis (Leptochloa fascicularis)
(Native of Texas - Taylor)
Base: Summer annual, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): narrow leaves radiate from base, 8" long, 3/8" wide, white midvein
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): hairless and loose, papery ligule
Culm (main grain stem): decumbent at base, 18" long, branching, variable color of white, green, reddish, can root at lower nodes, nodes darker and dull.
Inflorescence: Open panicle, 8" long, with stiff straight spreading branches 3 1/2" long, rough texture
Spikelet: appressed, somewhat flattened, almost no pedicel, about 1/4" long
Glume: linear-lanceolate, keels, green midveins
Lemma: 5-10, linear-lanceolate, keels, green midveins, 2 green lateral veins, tiny awn
Mucronate Sprangletop Leptochloa panicea ssp. mucronata (Leptochloa attenuata, Leptochloa filiformis, Leptochloa mucronata)
Short grass with large inflorescence and tiny spikelets.
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Jones, Nolan, Coleman, Brown, Eastland)
Base: Summer annual, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): smooth or slightly rough above, some long hairs, 5-45cm long, 3-10mm wide, purple midvein and base
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): purple, rough and hairy on upper half, hairy ligule
Culm (main grain stem): erect or branching, can get up to 3 feet tall but often much shorter, purple
Inflorescence: Open panicle half the length of culm, 6-30cm long, purple turning tan, furrowed, slightly rough,
Branches: numerous, solitary or clusters up to five, 5-10cm long
Spikelet: tiny, short pedicels, purple
Glume: longer than first floret, hairs on midnerve
Lemma: glabrous, tiny awns
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