Western Witchgrass
Dichanthelium acuminatum (Sw.) Gould & Clark Dichanthelium acuminatum var. fasciculatum (Torr.) Freckmann (Panicum occidentale [Scribn.])
overview
Tufted perennial; stems yellowish-green, leafy towards base, spreading, usually velvety-hairy, 15-40 cm tall. Leaves flat, firm, erect to ascending, hairy, 5-10 mm wide, no auricles; ligules 3-4 mm long, consisting of long hairs. Inflorescence a panicle, open, 3-9 cm long; spikelets up to 2 mm long, short-hairy, two flowered, the lower flower sterile; glumes unequal in size; fertile lemmas hardened (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994). Photo by Keir Morse.
other names
western panicgrass
family
Poaceae
ecological setting
Moist, sandy ground (lakeshores, beaches, stream banks), rocky and gravelly areas in bogs, meadows and open forests at low to mid elevations (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994).
soil texture
Sandy, rocky and gravelly (S. Bastin, personal communication).
moisture regime
Moist to wet (S. Bastin, personal communication).
shade tolerance
Sun to light shade (S. Bastin, personal communication).
landscaping
Useful groundcover in controlled moist area. Attractive fall/winter colour. Excellent in poorly-drained locations (S. Bastin, personal communication).
fruit seed dormancy treatment
No treatment required.
vegetative propagation
Plant division: Care must be taken to ensure adequate root mass is attached to each division (S. Bastin, personal communication).
additional info and photos
For more information and pictures, visit the E-Flora BC website at www.eflora.bc.ca.