Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Sweet Vernal-grass - Anthoxanthum odoratum   L.
Members of Poaceae:
Members of Anthoxanthum with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 5 » Order Cyperales » Family Poaceae
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AuthorL.
DistributionThroughout most of the state, with minor gaps; but absent in the Sandhills.

Native to Europe; in N.A. Newf. to southern Ont., south to northern GA and northern AL. Also on the West Coast.
AbundanceFrequent to common.
HabitatRoadsides, lawns, campuses, disturbed soils.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting April-June.
IdentificationSweet Vernal-grass grows to about 1.5-2.5 feet tall. The inflorescence is cylindrical in outline, with tight branches. From the native Hierochloe hirta it differs in its glumes of unequal length (vs. definitely equal), and inflorescence shape. A. aristatum differs in being annual (vs. perennial) and having short ligules (0.5-2 mm long vs. 2-3 mm long in that species).
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Other Common Name(s)
State RankSE
Global RankGNR
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B.A. SorrieRoadside, Niagara-Carthage Road, Whispering Pines, April 2015. MoorePhoto_non_natural
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