North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Andropogon ternarius

Andropogon ternarius Michx.

split-beard bluestem, splitbeard bluestem

Andropogon ternarius (Split-beard Bluestem)

Image ID: 10093
Image by: Sorrie, Bruce A.
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: ANTE2
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Andropogon ternarius
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-10-14

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: ANDRO2
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Andropogon
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Bluestem
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 100-110 species, mainly tropical. Campbells work (1983, et seq.) has greatly clarified the taxonomy of Andropogon in e. North America. Great confusion and disagreement were previously the rule in dealing with the A. virginicus-A. glomeratus complex. Campbells careful morphologic work has provided workable technical characters which distinguish the taxa he recognizes. I have generally followed Campbell (1983, et seq.) in his circumscriptions of taxa, but have differed in decisions of rank; see Weakley et al. (2011) for discussion. Taxa differing in numerous morphologic characters, with different (though overlapping) geographic ranges, with different ecological preferences (often rather narrowly segregated by hydrology), and (when they do occur in proximity to one another) showing little or no sign of introgression or hybridization are probably better treated as biological species. Thus, I have treated a number of Campbells varieties as species. Several of his variants also warrant taxonomic recognition, at varietal or specific rank (Campbell 1986; Weakley et al. 2011).
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: A thorough understanding of the architecture of the inflorescences of Andropogon is necessary in order to identify them successfully. The parts will be described, beginning from the apex of a branch of the inflorescence. Spikelets occur in pairs, the sessile spikelet (usually just referred to as the spikelet) and the pedicelled spikelet, which is usually vestigial or absent (except in A. gerardi) and sterile (except in A. gerardi, where it is staminate). The first or lower glume of the sessile spikelet has two keels, and the presence and location of antrorse prickle hairs (scabrousness) is an important character in the A. glomeratus complex. The length of the sessile spikelet is an important character; it should be measured exclusive of the awn, borne at the apex of the lemma. Awn length is also a useful taxonomic character. The pedicelled spikelet is borne on the pedicel, which is attached at the base of the sessile spikelet and typically angles away from it at about a 45 degree angle. The rachis internode extends from the base of one sessile spikelet to the next sessile spikelet above, breaking apart (upon dehiscence) just below the next spikelet and remaining attached to the sessile spikelet below. The dispersal unit consists of a sessile spikelet sitting in the V shape formed by (on one side) the pedicel and pedicelled spikelet and (on the other side) the rachis internode. Both the pedicel and the rachis internode are usually pubescent with long hairs, and the color of those hairs and their distribution are useful characters.
GENUS REFERENCES: Campbell (1983)=Z; Campbell in FNA (2003a); Weakley et al. (2011)=Y. Key adapted in part from Z.

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: POACEA
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Poaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: (R. Brown) Barnhart 1895 or GRAMINEAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Grass Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 771 genera and 12,074 species, herbs (and some shrubs and trees), cosmopolitan. Tribal classification largely follows FNA (2003a, 2007a), with some changes based on subsequent research, as for instance in the Chloridoideae (Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson 2010a).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2003a, 2007a)=FNA; Hitchcock and Chase (1950)=HC; Blomquist (1948); Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson (2010a, 2010b). Key to genera adapted in large part from FNA.

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Silvery Tufted Bloom.
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1.5-4 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Grass/Grasslike

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Aug-Nov

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
							x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
					x					x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: southeastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: This wonderful prairie native boasts great fall color and an attractive late summer bloom. It will thrive in a wide variety of soils as long they are well drained. Try planting it somewhere sandy or rocky. The dried inflorescence can be incorporated into flower arrangements to great effect. Like many native grasses, the seeds of split-beard bluestem are an excellent source of food for birds. The genus Andropogon supports up to 11 species of lepidoptera.

Bloom Table Text: This wonderful prairie native boasts great fall color and an attractive late summer bloom. It will thrive in a wide variety of soils as long they are well drained. Try planting it somewhere sandy or rocky. The dried inflorescence can be incorporated into flower arrangements to great effect. Like many native grasses, the seeds of split-beard bluestem are an excellent source of food for birds. The genus Andropogon supports up to 11 species of lepidoptera.

NCBG Location: Education Center Landscape, Piedmont Habitat

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Well-drained
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 6
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE: 2
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly, Bird Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
132	2010-0044	2010-11-04	133	View
401	2013-0031	2020-01-27	133	View
3576	1991-0232			View
3647	1991-0333			View
4339	1992-0495			View
5742	1995-0868			View
5939	1995-1068			View
7041	1998-0327	1998-11-18		View
7336	2000-0073	2000-03-14		View
7397	2000-0140	2000-04-05		View

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
133	HORT	2009-11-30	NCBG staff	View
2297	NPMD	2019-10-16	Touloupas	View
2309	NPMD	2019-10-17	Touloupas	View
2357	NPMD	2019-11-20	Touloupas	View
2413	NPMD	2020-11-07	Kunz	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
251	132	102	Liloia	2010-10-06	View
252	132	19	NCBG staff	2011-03-01	View
253	132	14	NCBG staff	2011-03-01	View
254	132	21	Liloia	2011-08-12	View
709	132	106	Liloia	2011-07-11	View
710	132	101	Liloia	2011-07-11	View
947	401	21	Liloia	2013-10-04	View
5839	3576	58	NCBG staff	1990-10-25	View
5948	3647	27	NCBG staff	1991-06-21	View
6667	4339	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
8256	5742	204	NCBG staff	1993-01-01	View
8500	5939	2	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
9919	7041	57	NCBG staff	1967-12-01	View
10304	7336	172	NCBG staff	2000-03-08	View
10305	7336	175	NCBG staff	2000-03-08	View
10393	7397	143	NCBG staff	1999-08-01	View
12491	401	20	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12653	401	19	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
12804	0	15	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12819	0	18	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12848	401	14	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
12851	0	17	Liloia	0000-00-00	View
13248	0	105	Wait	0000-00-00	View
13259	0	111	Wait	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: ANTE2
USDA Common Name: Splitbeard Bluestem
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Graminoid

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				FACU	FACU		FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Andropogon ternarius
COMMON NAME: Splitbeard Bluestem
SYNONYMY: [= HC, S; = A. ternarius var. ternarius - FNA, K1, Va, Z; < A. ternarius - C, G, K2, RAB, Tn, W, WH3; > A. ternarius var. ternarius - F; > A. ternarius var. glaucescens (Scribner) Fernald & Griscom - F]
PHENOLOGY: Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Sandhills, dry to moist soils of woodlands and openings.
COMMENTS: DE west to KY and s. MO, south to FL and TX. A. cabinisii Hackel, sometimes treated as A. ternarius var. cabanisii (Hackel) Fernald & Griscom, is endemic in s. and c. peninsular FL.
RANGE MAP: Andropogon ternarius.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Poaceae (R. Brown) Barnhart 1895 or GRAMINEAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Grass Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 771 genera and 12,074 species, herbs (and some shrubs and trees), cosmopolitan. Tribal classification largely follows FNA (2003a, 2007a), with some changes based on subsequent research, as for instance in the Chloridoideae (Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson 2010a).
REFERENCE: Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2003a, 2007a)=FNA; Hitchcock and Chase (1950)=HC; Blomquist (1948); Peterson, Romaschenko, & Johnson (2010a, 2010b). Key to genera adapted in large part from FNA.

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Andropogon L. (Bluestem)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 100-110 species, mainly tropical. Campbells work (1983, et seq.) has greatly clarified the taxonomy of Andropogon in e. North America. Great confusion and disagreement were previously the rule in dealing with the A. virginicus-A. glomeratus complex. Campbells careful morphologic work has provided workable technical characters which distinguish the taxa he recognizes. I have generally followed Campbell (1983, et seq.) in his circumscriptions of taxa, but have differed in decisions of rank; see Weakley et al. (2011) for discussion. Taxa differing in numerous morphologic characters, with different (though overlapping) geographic ranges, with different ecological preferences (often rather narrowly segregated by hydrology), and (when they do occur in proximity to one another) showing little or no sign of introgression or hybridization are probably better treated as biological species. Thus, I have treated a number of Campbells varieties as species. Several of his variants also warrant taxonomic recognition, at varietal or specific rank (Campbell 1986; Weakley et al. 2011).
REFERENCE: Campbell (1983)=Z; Campbell in FNA (2003a); Weakley et al. (2011)=Y. Key adapted in part from Z.

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Andropogon ternarius in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Andropogon ternarius in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Andropogon ternarius in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Andropogon ternarius in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Andropogon ternarius in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Andropogon ternarius

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 10093 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 10088 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 10088 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 10093 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)