Leptochloa fusca — bearded sprangletop
![Spikelets: Leptochloa fusca. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Poaceae/leptochloa-fusca-fascicularis-si-efarnsworth.jpg)
![Stems and sheaths: Leptochloa fusca. ~ By John Bradford and George Rogers. ~ Copyright © 2024 John Bradford and George Rogers. ~ George Rogers: rogersg[at]palmbeachstate.edu, 561-207-5052 ~ floridagrasses.org/index.htm](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Poaceae/leptochloa-fusca-ss-flgrasses1.jpg)
![Leaves: Leptochloa fusca. ~ By John Hilty. ~ Copyright © 2024 John Hilty. ~ john[at]illinoiswildflowers.info ~ Illinois Wildflowers - www.illinoiswildflowers.info/index.htm](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Poaceae/leptochloa-fusca-fascicularis-le-jhilty.jpg)
![Inflorescences: Leptochloa fusca. ~ By John Hilty. ~ Copyright © 2024 John Hilty. ~ john[at]illinoiswildflowers.info ~ Illinois Wildflowers - www.illinoiswildflowers.info/index.htm](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Poaceae/leptochloa-fusca-fascicularis-in-jhilty.jpg)
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Facts
Bearded sprangletop, with its whimsical common name, has two subspecies in New England. By far the most widespread, (ssp. fascicularis) is native. The other (ssp. uninerva) is introduced in New England, where it is known only from Massachusetts.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), coastal beaches (sea beaches), marshes
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 2–7 mm
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet length
- 5–12 mm
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- One or more florets
- there is more than one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 0–3.5 mm
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf ligule length
- 2–8 mm
- Anther length
- 0.2–1 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 0.2–1 mm
- Anther number
- 2–3
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is thin and flexible
- Floret number
- 6–20
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Glume veins
- 1
- Inflorescence arrangement
- the spikelets are uniform
- Inflorescence axis orientation
-
- the inflorescence axis is arched or curved outward
- the inflorescence axis is straight
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Inflorescence length
- 5–720 mm
- Inflorescence type (general)
- the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
- Inflorescence type (specific)
- the inflorescence is branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes
- Lemma awn base
- the awn is attached right at the tip of the lemma
- Lemma awn length
- 0–3.5 mm
- Lemma awn number
-
- the lemma has no awn
- the lemma has one awn on it
- Lemma cross-section
- the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint
- Lemma surface
- the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)
- Lemma vein number
- 3
- One or more florets
- there is more than one floret per spikelet
- Palea relative length
- palea is one half to fully as long as lemma
- Spikelet axis tip
- there is an extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
- Spikelet length
- 5–12 mm
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf blade width
- 2–7 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 2–8 mm
- Leaf ligule type
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane
- Leaf sheath closed around stem
- the margins of the leaf sheath are overlapping and not fused together except in the basal half (or less)
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf sheath hairs
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- aquatic
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- marshes
- sea beaches
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Stem spacing
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
ssp. fascicularis
- Connecticut
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), endangered (code: E)
- Massachusetts
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), threatened (code: T)
- New Hampshire
- historical (S-rank: SH), endangered (code: E)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), state endangered (code: SE)
ssp. uninervia
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Leptochloa fusca (L.) Kunth n
bearded sprangletop. 1a. Diplachne acuminata Nash; D. fascicularis (Lam.) Beauv.; D. maritima Bickn.; Leptochloa fascicularis (Lam.) Gray; L. fascicularis (Lam.) Gray var. maritima (Bickn.) Gleason; 1b. Diplachne uninervia (J. Presl) Parodi; Leptochloa uninervia (J. Presl) A.S. Hitchc. & Chase • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Saline marshes, coastal beaches, railroads, disturbed ground.
1a. Uppermost leaf usually partly enclosing the inflorescence in the sheath, the blade usually exceeding the inflorescence; mature lemmas gray-white, usually with a dark spot in the basal portion; reproductive stems prostrate to erect … 1a. L. fusca ssp. fascicularis (Lam.) N. Snow
1b. Uppermost leaf usually not partly enclosing the inflorescence (i.e., the inflorescence completely exserted), the blade usually not exceeding the inflorescence; mature lemmas light brown, dark-green, or gray, usually lacking a dark, basal spot; reproductive stems erect to ascending … 1b. L. fusca ssp. uninervia (J. Presl) N. Snow
Subspecies fascicularis is native and known from CT, MA, NH, RI, VT. Subspecies uninervia is non-native and known from MA. Reports of ssp. uninervia from ME (e.g., Campbell et al. 1995) are based on collections taken from cultivated plants— Sep 1896, Harvey & Harvey s.n. ( MAINE!). Coastal plants with long awns have been segregated under the epithet “ maritima”. Given that awn length and salinity tolerance are known to vary within this species, these plants are best referred to as ecological variants.
Native to North America?
Yes