Andropogon virginicus L.
Broomsedge

Habit: 		Tufted perennial.
Culms: 		Erect, 50-100 cm. tall, rather slender, usually in rather small tufts, the upper two thirds freely branching.
Blades: 	Flat or folded, 30-40 cm. long, 2-5 mm. wide, pilose at the base above, slightly rough
		especially on the margins.
Sheaths: 	Shorter than the internodes, glabrous or more or less pilose along the margins, at least the
		lower ones, upper leaf-sheath or spathe usually exceeding the racemes, lower compressed, keeled.
Ligule: 	Membranous, round, short, strongly ciliate.
Inflorescence:	Elongate, narrow, the 2-4 racemes 2-3 cm. long, partly included and shorter than the inflated,
		tawny to bronze spathes, rachis very slender, flexuous, long-villous, bearing spikelets in pairs at each
		node, one sessile and perfect, the other pedicellate and rudimentary.
Spikelets: 	Sessile spikelet 3-4 mm. long, narrow; pedicel longer than the sessile spikelet, long-villous,
		its spikelet obsolete or rarely present as a small scale.
Glumes: 	Of fertile spikelet subequal, the first dorsally flattened, with a strong nerve near each margin,
		the midnerve faint, second glume keeled above.
Lemmas: 	First lemma empty, hyaline; fertile lemma membranous or hyaline, with a delicate, straight awn 1-2 cm. long.
Stamen: 	1
Habitat: 	Open ground, sterile hills, sandy soil.  September-October.
Kansas Range: 	Scattered in the east fourth.
Use: 		Forage, but of little value.
Synonyms:	Andropogon virginicus L. var. virginicus
		Andropogon virginicus L. var. tetrastachyus (Ell.) Hack.