About Sorghastrum elliottii (C.Mohr) Nash
Sorghastrum elliottii has culms that grow between 0.4 and 2 meters (1.3 to 6.6 feet) tall. Its leaf blades are scaberulous, reaching up to 60 cm (24 inches) long and 10 mm (0.4 inches) wide. Its leaf sheaths are usually glabrous, with scarious margins. The species produces elongated panicles, with a smooth, purplish rachis; peduncles of the panicles measure between 1 and 20 mm (0.04 to 0.79 inches) long. Spikelets grow in pairs, are ovoid in shape, and measure 5 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 inches) in length. When the species produces grain, the grain is reddish, 2.5 to 3 mm (0.10 to 0.12 inches) long, and shaped ellipsoid to obovoid. Sorghastrum elliottii has fibrous roots. In the United States, this species is distributed across the southeastern region, with a range extending from Maryland south to Florida, and west to Texas. It has also been recorded as far north as Indiana. It can be found growing in river-scour environments, forests, and woodlands.
