Dichanthelium oligosanthes (Schult.) Gould
Scribner's witchgrass (Heller's rosette grass)
Poaceae (Grass family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Hans Roemer     (Photo ID #10227)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Dichanthelium oligosanthes
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

Dichanthelium oligosanthes var. scribnerianum

Species Information

General:
Perennial grass from fibrous roots; stems simple in spring with terminal panicles, becoming branched in late summer with axillary panicles, more or less pimply and soft-hairy, 15-50 cm tall.
Leaves:
Sheaths open; basal leaves different from the stem leaves, forming a winter rosette; blades hairy below, smooth above, hairs of margins with minutely blistery base, the upper blades larger than the basal, 5-15 mm wide; ligules 1-1.5 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an open panicle, 3-8 cm long, the late summer axillary panicles often with closed, self-fertilizing florets; spikelets 2-flowered, more or less short soft-hairy, 2.7-3.2 mm long, the first florets sterile; lower glumes 1-nerved, about 1.5 mm long, the rest of the spikelet abruptly narrowed to a hardened, cuplike base 0.6-0.8 mm long, the upper glumes short soft-hairy throughout or sometimes smooth, 9- to 11-nerved, rounded at the tips, barely exceeding the fertile florets; sterile lemmas short soft-hairy throughout or sometimes smooth, 9- to 11-nerved, rounded at the tips, barely exceeding the fertile florets; fertile lemmas much-hardened and faintly-nerved; lodicules 0.6-0.7 mm long, tubular-fan-shaped.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Dichanthelium oligosanthes

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
509 445 700
Slope Gradient (%)
40 11 77

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

206 180 272
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 1 3
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
8
Modal BEC Zone Class
ICH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

ICH(5), PP(2)

Habitat and Range

Dry open sandy flats, gravelly knolls and rocky bluffs in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in SW and SC BC north to 51 degrees N; E to ON and S to ME, MA, PA, NC, FL, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ and CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Panicum oligosanthes