JOHNSONGRASS
(Sorghum
halepense)
Introduced
perennial warm season bunch grass. Grows 3-6' tall, stems growing
from extensively creeping scaly rhizomes. The blades are flat,
blue-green and often splotched with purple caused by a bacterial
disease. The panicles are large, open with branchlets mostly
in whorls of four. The awns soon fall leaving shiny, fuzzy fruit.
Grows in fields and waste places. Under certain growth conditions
produces prussic acid which is poisonous to livestock.
Adaptation:
Widely adapted, grows best on heavier soils but performs moderately
well on fine sandy loams. Responds well to fertility.
Uses:
Fair
grazing for wildlife, good grazing for livestock. Used
for hay, grazing and erosion control, provides good cover and
seed provide excellent food source for dove and quail.
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