johnsongrass

Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.

Description from Invasive.org

Appearance
Sorghum halepense is a tall (up to 8 ft. [2.4 m]), rhizomatous, perennial grass that invades open areas throughout the United States.
Foliage
The 2 ft. (0.6 m) long, lanceolate leaves are arranged alternately along a stout, hairless, somewhat upward branching stem and have distinct, white midribs.
Flowers
Flowers occur in a loose, spreading, purplish panicle.
Fruit
Fruits are also produced in a panicle. Seeds form in the sessile spikelets.
Ecological Threat
Sorghum halepense is adapted to a wide variety of habitats including open forests, old fields, ditches and wetlands. It spreads aggressively and can form dense colonies which displace native vegetation and restrict tree seedling establishment. Sorghum halepense has naturalized throughout the world, but it is thought to be native to the Mediterranean region. It was first introduced into the United States in the early 1800s as a forage crop.

Resources


Selected Images from Invasive.org

View All Images at Invasive.org


Flower(s)
Jil Swearingen, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Flower(s) July. Photo from Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses by J.H. Miller and K.V. Miller, published by The University of Georgia Press in cooperation with the Southern Weed Science Society.
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
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Spikelet(s) Ventral view of spikelets with pedicel and rachis segment
Julia Scher, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org
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Plant(s)
Barry Fitzgerald, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org
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Infestation
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Seedling(s)
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Root(s) Roots
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Feature(s) Ligule
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Plant(s)
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Rhizome / Stolon Rhizomes
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Feature(s) Leaf collar region
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Infestation Invasive plants complicate roadise begetation management programs, create safety hazards by obscuring visibility and increasing the intensity of roadsidefires, and provide seed sources for infestation of adjacent fields.
Bonnie Harper-Lore, Federal Highway Administration, Bugwood.org
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Plant(s)
Charles T. Bryson, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org
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Root(s)
Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org
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Plant(s)
Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org
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Foliage Ligule
Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org
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Foliage
Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org
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Stem(s) Stem
Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org
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Infestation Large infestation in September
David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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Plant(s) Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 121.
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database , USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
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Plant(s) Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. USDA Misc. Publ. No. 200. Washington, DC.
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database , USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
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Fruit(s)
Steve Hurst, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org
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Distribution