Shattercane

[Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]

Poaceae (Grass Family)

▲ ▼ young plants

▲ ▼ mature plants, showing dark, large panicle inflorescences

▲ ▼ another mature plant with lighter inflorescences

▲ ▼ inflorescences

▲ close-up of shiny florets

▲ large leaves with prominent midvein

Shattercane: (pp. 468-469, Weeds of the Great Plains; pp. 84-85 in Weeds of the Northeast)

·         warm-season, summer annual grass growing 4-8’ tall

·         leaves and inflorescence similar to grain sorghum, but flowers/seed often dark red to black in color when mature

·         panicle is more open than that of cultivated grain sorghum

·         seeds “shatter” or disperse from seedhead easily, promoting their re-occurance in a field, often as a result of harvesting grain sorghum

·         generally found in corn and grain sorghum fields or some roadside right-of-ways