johnsongrass

Plants: Grass or Grasslike
Liliopsida > Cyperales > Poaceae > Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.
Johnsongrass is a tall (up to 8 ft. [2.4 m]), rhizomatous, perennial grass that invades open areas throughout the United States. 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 occur in a loose, spreading, purplish panicle. Johnsongrass 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. Johnsongrass 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.

131 records

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Image Descriptor Description Photographer
1299122 Control Ropewick applicator Charles T. Bryson
5307057 Diagram or Graphic Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 121. USDA PLANTS Database
5309001 Diagram or Graphic Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. USDA Misc. Publ. No. 200. Washington, DC. USDA PLANTS Database
2149095 Feature(s) Stem Chris Evans
2149096 Feature(s) Ligule Chris Evans
1120384 Feature(s) Ligule. September. 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. Ted Bodner
1459237 Feature(s) Roots Steve Dewey
1459239 Feature(s) Ligule Steve Dewey
1459240 Feature(s) Roots Steve Dewey
1459242 Feature(s) Rhizomes Steve Dewey
1459244 Feature(s) Leaf collar region Steve Dewey
1459246 Feature(s) Steve Dewey
1550053 Feature(s)

leaf attachment

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1551074 Feature(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556481 Feature(s)

ligule

John Cardina
1556482 Feature(s)

ligule

Theodore Webster
1556483 Feature(s)

single white stripe along mid-rib of leaf

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556500 Feature(s)

leaf axil and single white stripe along mid-rib of leaf

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556501 Feature(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556507 Feature(s)

single white stripe on mid-rib of leaf

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
2149083 Feature(s) Stem Chris Evans
2149084 Feature(s) Roots Chris Evans
2149085 Feature(s) Roots Chris Evans
2149086 Feature(s) Plant base Chris Evans
2149087 Feature(s) Ligule Chris Evans
2149090 Feature(s) Plant base Chris Evans
2149091 Feature(s) Plant base Chris Evans
2149092 Feature(s) Ligule Chris Evans
2149093 Feature(s) Stem Chris Evans
1391333 Field John D. Byrd
1392225 Flower(s) Charles T. Bryson
0581065 Flower(s) Jil M. Swearingen
1120383 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
1550052 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1551073 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556487 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556489 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556496 Flower(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
5160059 Flower(s) seed head Forest & Kim Starr
5160060 Flower(s) seed heads Forest & Kim Starr
5361787 Flower(s)

Close-up view of the flower head of johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) emerging from the boot. Plant is growing in a field of dry beans.

Howard F. Schwartz
5386300 Flower(s)

inflorescence.

Joseph M. DiTomaso
5386301 Flower(s)

inflorescence with a fungus.

Joseph M. DiTomaso
5391774 Flower(s) Barry Rice
5391775 Flower(s) Barry Rice
5391776 Flower(s) Barry Rice
5403108 Flower(s) Rebekah D. Wallace
5403230 Foliage Karan A. Rawlins
1556480 Foliage

showing leaf axil and single white stripe on center of leaf

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
2149094 Foliage Chris Evans
1551075 Foliage Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1120382 Foliage June. 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. Ted Bodner
1459233 Fruit(s) Steve Dewey
1195034 Fruit(s)

Ventral view of spikelets with pedicel and rachis segment

Julia Scher
1556471 Fruit(s) John Cardina
1556472 Fruit(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556473 Fruit(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1459245 Fruit(s) Steve Dewey
5246046 Fruit(s) Richard Old
5376838 Fruit(s) Julia Scher
5376839 Fruit(s) Julia Scher
5376840 Fruit(s) Julia Scher
5376841 Fruit(s)

Spikelets with apices broken off

Julia Scher
5376842 Fruit(s) Julia Scher
5376843 Fruit(s)

side view

Julia Scher
5309002 Fruit(s) Steve Hurst
2155066 Infestation John D. Byrd
2308021 Infestation Large infestation in September David J. Moorhead
5379565 Infestation

July

James H. Miller
5362349 Infestation

A drybean field with johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) infestation.

Howard F. Schwartz
5362350 Infestation

A drybean field with johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) infestation.

Howard F. Schwartz
5392602 Infestation John M. Randall
5392603 Infestation

Ratty plants

John M. Randall
1459234 Infestation Steve Dewey
1624081 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
1550057 Infestation Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
0581066 Jil M. Swearingen
1120381 Plant(s) June. 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. Ted Bodner
1459235 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1265102 Plant(s) Barry Fitzgerald
1459238 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1459243 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1459241 Plant(s) Steve Dewey
1556479 Plant(s) John Cardina
1556491 Plant(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556492 Plant(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556493 Plant(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556495 Plant(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
2100036 Plant(s) Charles T. Bryson
1624073 Plant(s) Was introduced from eastern Europe into Alabama in the 1830s as a pasture forage, has become a serious weed of row crops such as cotton and corn throughout the United States. Charles T. Bryson
1556504 Plant(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
2149088 Plant(s) Chris Evans
2149089 Plant(s) Chris Evans
5389604 Plant(s) Nancy Loewenstein
5389605 Plant(s) Nancy Loewenstein
5389606 Plant(s) Nancy Loewenstein
5389607 Plant(s) Nancy Loewenstein
5391773 Plant(s) Barry Rice
5362596 Plant(s)

Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) growing as a weed in a field of dry beans.

Howard F. Schwartz
5362345 Plant(s)

Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) -- a young plant.

Howard F. Schwartz
5379566 Plant(s) James H. Miller
5386298 Plant(s)

plant.

Joseph M. DiTomaso
5386299 Plant(s)

plant with some inflorescences containing a fungus.

Joseph M. DiTomaso
5160061 Plant(s) habit Forest & Kim Starr
5160062 Plant(s) plant Forest & Kim Starr
5246045 Plant(s) Richard Old
5361009 Plant(s)

Johngrass on a pole bean field as a weed.

Howard F. Schwartz
5361786 Plant(s)

Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) growing as a weed in a field of dry beans.

Howard F. Schwartz
1556506 Root(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
5246043 Root(s) Richard Old
1556498 Root(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556499 Root(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556490 Root(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556485 Root(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1550054 Root(s)

rhizomes

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1551076 Root(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1551077 Root(s)

rhizomes

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556475 Seed(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1550055 Seed(s) Ken Chamberlain
5138045 Seed(s) Lynn Sosnoskie
5138046 Seed(s) Lynn Sosnoskie
5364428 Seed(s)

Seeds of johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense).

Howard F. Schwartz
5358454 Seedling(s)

Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) seedlings in an onion field.

Howard F. Schwartz
5358455 Seedling(s)

Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) seedlings in an onion field.

Howard F. Schwartz
5358456 Seedling(s)

Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) seedlings in an onion field.

Howard F. Schwartz
1550056 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1459236 Seedling(s) Steve Dewey
1556505 Seedling(s) Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
1556477 Stem(s)

at leaf axil

Ohio State Weed Lab Archive
5246044 Stem(s) Richard Old
5386304 Stem(s)

collar and sheath.

Joseph M. DiTomaso


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