Dichanthelium aciculare (Desvaux ex Poiret) Gould & C.A. Clark. Common name: Needle-leaf Witchgrass. Phenology: May-Oct. Habitat: Sandy woods and fields. Distribution: NJ south to n. FL, west to TX, OK and Mexico; West Indies; n. South America. Reports of this species in KY, TN, and n. AL are likely based on misidentification of D. angustifolium and other species (M. Brock, pers.comm. 2024).
ID notes: Blades typically are strongly involute, especially autumnal form.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Synonymy ⓘ: = Va, LeBlond (2017a) in Weakley et al (2017); = Dichanthelium aciculare (Desv. ex Poir.) Gould & C.A.Clark ssp. aciculare — FNA25; = Panicum aciculare Desv. ex Poir. — F, G, RAB, Tat; < Dichanthelium aciculare (Desv. ex Poir.) Gould & C.A.Clark — FlGr, K4, Mex, Gould & Clark (1978); < Panicum aciculare Desv. ex Poir. — C; > Panicum aciculare Desv. ex Poir. — HC, S; < Panicum aciculare Desv. ex Poir. var. aciculare — NcTx; > Panicum arenicola Ashe; > Panicum arenicolum Ashe — HC, correctable orthographic error; > Panicum bennettense M.V.Brown — HC, S; Panicum aciculare Desv. ex Poir. Basionym: Panicum aciculare Desv. ex Poir. 1816
Links to other floras: = Dichanthelium aciculare ssp. aciculare - FNA25
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Midwest: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
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