Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Beaked Panicgrass - Coleataenia anceps   (Michaux) Soreng
Members of Poaceae:
Members of Coleataenia with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 5 » Family Poaceae
Author(Michaux) Soreng
DistributionThroughout the state, but apparently uncommon in the Mountains.

NJ and IL south to FL and TX.
AbundanceCommon over the Piedmont and Coastal Plain (including the Sandhills), except uncommon to infrequent in the Mountains.
HabitatA wide variety of habitats, from dry to permanently moist or wet, from open to forested, including roadsides and other disturbed soils.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting July-October.
IdentificationBeaked Panicgrass stems grow 1.5-2.5 feet tall; with the upper half devoid of leaves and with a terminal, open inflorescence. This is a quite familiar grass in most of the state, often in open places.
Taxonomic CommentsThere are two subspecies in NC -- the nominate and widespread anceps and the Coastal Plain taxon rhizomata.

Members of the genus Coleataenia have been split from Panicum by the subsessile spikelets (nearly stalkless, vs. stalk greater than 2 mm long) and spikelets which grow only on one side of each branch (vs. essentially on all sides). C. anceps and C. rigidula have lower stems relatively flattened, unlike Panicum.
Other Common Name(s)None
State RankS5
Global Rank[G5]
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B.A. SorrieSame data, ScotlandPhoto_natural
B.A. SorrieNarrow rim between Big Cypress Meadow and Tunstall's Bay, Aug 2020. ScotlandPhoto_natural
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