Andropogon (virginicus)

Quicksand USDA NRCS - Quicksand Plant Materials Center 175 Robinson Road Quicksand, Kentucky 41363 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov

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Family Scientific Name:	Poaceae
Family Common Name:	Grass
Scientific Name:	Andropogon virginicus
Common Name:	Broomsedge Bluestem
General Distribution:	Relatively sterile, sandy soils of abandoned fields and thin woodlands, roadsides, waste areas. This species is found in the South and southeastern states including Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, Kansas, south to Florida and Texas, California, and Mexico. It is a warm-season bunchgrass.
Propagation Goal:	seeds
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Propagules (seeds, cuttings, poles, etc.)
Time To Grow:	0
Propagule Collection:	Collected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Propagule Processing:	EASE OF COLLECTION: Seed is difficult to collect from this species as the seed is very small, has very hairy appendages, and remains partially enclosed in the leaf sheath. Most fields in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with abundant plants were mowed before seed set. TYPE OF MATERIAL COLLECTED FOR PROPAGATION: Seed culms including leaf and stem material.METHOD OF CLEANING: No successful method has been found. Attempts were made to remove seed from culm using a hammermill. As seed is very light,seed that was removed scattered in the air. Much of the seed remained in the leaf sheath. Attempts to have seed debearded were unsuccessful. UNUSUAL OR UNIQUE PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS: Cleaning of seed will be very difficult because of the very small seed and hairy appendages. NUMBER OF SEEDS PER POUND: Data not available at date of publication. PERCENT GERMINATION: Data not available at date of publication.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	PRETREATMENT USED: None.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	PROPAGATION METHOD: As seed has been very limited, no attempts to propagate seed have been made. Depending on available material, plans in 1993 are to chop vegetative and seed material and use as a mulch, which will be scattered and lightly covered with soil.
Active Growth Phase:	METHOD OF GROWING: No plantings have been attempted because of limited seed material and seed-cleaning difficulties.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	UNUSUAL OR UNIQUE HARVESTING OR DIGGING REQUIREMENTS: Tentative plans in 1993 are to harvest fields within Cades Cove of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by mowing, raking, and baling material. This material will then be chopped in some way and mulched to an area in an attempt to establish. SEED MATURITY DATE: Data not available at date of publication. STORAGE REQUIREMENTS: Data unavailable at date of publication. ESTIMATED PROPAGULE STORAGE POTENTIAL: Data unavailable at date of publication.

Citation:

2001. Propagation protocol for production of Propagules (seeds, cuttings, poles, etc.) Andropogon virginicus seeds USDA NRCS - Quicksand Plant Materials Center Quicksand, Kentucky. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/04/26). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.