Species: Panicum virgatum var. virgatum L.

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Panicum virgatum var. virgatum L.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Panicum

Species Synonyms:

Panicum virgatum var. cubense Griseb.
Panicum virgatum var. obtusum Wood

Common Names:

switchgrass

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southeastern Saskatchewan – southern Manitoba, southern Ontario – southwestern Quebec, western Nova Scotia

Saskatchewan:

southeastern Saskatchewan; Souris River Valley – Moose Mountain Creek Valley – Antler River Valley

Ecoregion:

Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist meadows

Associated Species:

Andropogon gerardii, Oligoneuron album, Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium, Sporobolus heterolepis

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Vulnerable

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Panicum virgatum var. virgatum is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. It is restricted to one general region of the province and most local populations are small. Possible threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

40 – 300 cm

Roots:

rhizomes long, hard, with overlapping scales, occasionally short or knotty

Stems:

3 – 5 mm wide, solitary or caespitose, erect or decumbent at base, internodes green or purplish

Leaves:

blades 10 – 60 cm long, 2 – 15 mm wide, flat, ascending or spreading, glabrous or pubescent; sheaths longer than lower internodes, white to purplish-tinged, distinctly veined, glabrous or pilose; ligules 2 – 6 mm long, membranous; auricles absent

Inflorescence:

panicle 10 – 50 cm long, 4 – 20 cm wide, branches thin and solitary to fascicled

Spikelets:

3 – 8 mm long, 1 – 2.5 mm wide, slightly laterally compressed, glabrous, apex acute to acuminate, lower florets staminate

Flowers:

glumes membranous, 5 – 9-veined, glabrous, awnless; upper glumes and lower lemmas 7 – 11-veined, awnless; paleas indurate

Fruits:

caryopsis

PANICUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Plants perennial; rhizomes long, scaly; lower florets staminate	P. virgatum var. virgatum
1 Plants annual or perennial; rhizomes absent; lower florets sterile	2

2 Spikelets 4 – 7 mm long; panicle arching, not diffuse	P. miliaceum
2 Spikelets 1 – 4 mm long; panicle erect, diffuse	P. capillare