Plant Guide

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Graminoid
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator	UPL, FACW
Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Spring
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	Slow
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	Green
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Porous
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Fine
Fruit/Seed Color	Black
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	Yes
Growth Form	Rhizomatous
Growth Rate	Moderate
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	4.6
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Moderate
Low Growing Grass	Yes
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None
Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	Medium
CaCO3 Tolerance	Low
Cold Stratification Required	No
Drought Tolerance	Medium
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	None
Frost Free Days, Minimum	160
Hedge Tolerance	None
Moisture Use	Medium
pH, Minimum	5
pH, Maximum	7
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum	3400
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum	11000
Precipitation, Minimum	24
Precipitation, Maximum	65
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	10
Salinity Tolerance	None
Shade Tolerance	Tolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-33
Reproduction
Bloom Period	Summer
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	High
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Fruit/Seed Persistence	Yes
Propagated by Bare Root	Yes
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	No
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	90000
Seed Spread Rate	Moderate
Seedling Vigor	Medium
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	Moderate
Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	No
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	No
Palatable Browse Animal	High
Palatable Graze Animal	High
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

 

Kingdom  Plantae -- Plants

Subkingdom  Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants

Superdivision  Spermatophyta -- Seed plants

Division  Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants

Class  Liliopsida -- Monocotyledons

Subclass  Commelinidae

Order  Cyperales

Family  Poaceae -- Grass family

Genus  Chasmanthium Link -- woodoats P

Species  Chasmanthium latifolium (Michx.) Yates -- Indian woodoats P

 

Alternate Names

Indian woodoats, broadleaf wood-oats, creek oats, Indian sea-oats, inland sea-oats, broadleaf uniola; Uniola latifolia

 

Uses

Chasmanthium latifolium is best known for its ornamental uses.  It is a desirable ornamental grass because of its flower color, drought, moisture, salt and shade tolerance.  It is popular for its uses as cut flowers and for groundcover in partial or full shade.  The flower heads may be cut and dried while the plant is green or when it has fully matured to its natural copper-brownish color.  The plant persists through winter or until snow weighs it down.

 

The seeds have been noted as a source of food for birds and the leaves are a host plant for Linda’s Roadside Skipper (Amblyscirtes linda), a butterfly native to Oklahoma.   Cattle will graze this species.

 

Status

In 2005, this species was considered threatened in Michigan.  Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

 

Description

General: Grass Family (Poaceae).  Chasmanthium latifolium (previously in the Uniola genus and commonly called broadleaf uniola) is a native, rhizomatous perennial often found in small colonies.  The leaf shape and size are similar to many of the larger species of panic (Panicum species) grasses.  The height of this grass and the inflorescence (seed cluster) somewhat resemble domestic oats; thus, the common name “wood, creek, or sea oats.”  The weight of the seed heads causes the inflorescence to droop.

 

Stems are glabrous, relaxed and can reach heights of 1.5 m.  Striated and glabrous leaves are found along the stem up to the base of the panicle.  The leaves are broad (0.8 to 2.0 cm) and 10-20 cm long.  Blade sheaths are small and glabrous.  Panicles are open and drooping with relaxed branching.  Spikelets have 9-26 florets and are broad and flattened.  They range in lengths of 1.5-4 cm and widths of 1-2 cm.  Glumes and lemmas overlap; however, the glumes are smaller than the lemmas.  The glumes are 7-9 nerved, keels rough to the touch, and range in lengths of 5-8 mm.  The lemmas are 9-15 nerved, keels rough to the touch, and range in lengths of 8-13mm.  Paleas are 6-10 mm long with thin and dry margins.  Caryopsis is flat, oval in shape and range in lengths of 4-5 mm.

 

Distribution

Known from Arizona to Florida and Michigan to New Jersey.  For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

 

Establishment

Propagation can be accomplished by allowing the seeds to mature and fall naturally or by plant division. 

 

Chasmanthium latifolium is widely used in gardens throughout the United States.  They seed and spread readily if the spikelets are not removed before the seeds mature.  It should be fertilized once a year, preferably with a slow release 3-1-2 ratio.  Since it may take up to three years for the plant to reach its optimum growth, new plantings should be spaced about 2 feet apart.  The new plants should be given a sufficient amount of water throughout the first growing season.  One inch of water per week is recommended, perhaps more during the dry, hot days of summer.  Mulch before the winter and mow the grass in the early spring. 

 

Adaptation: It inhabits areas along streams and water banks, shaded slopes and bottomland hardwoods.  It flowers from June to October and is found in hardiness zones 4-10.  In Texas, this species is very common on loamy, terrace soils adjacent to creeks, bayous and rivers in eastern Texas, particularly under a hardwood forest canopy.  It becomes less common westward, although it is found under favorable conditions in the Edwards Plateau, Rio Grande Plains, and Southern Rolling Plains.  It is quite common in river bottoms of the Western Gulf Coast Prairie.  An abundance of Chasmanthium latifolium is usually a good indicator of a Class I or II soil; though, it will grow on wet natured clayey soils.  It is never found on droughty sites.  Some of the literature suggests that it is found in marshes and mud flats.  However, stress appears to limit the colonies to 1-3 plants on wet sites, rather than the 10-30 plant colonies commonly found on better-drained sites.

 

General: There are 5-6 species of Chasmanthium in the U.S. and three in Texas.  All are generally associated with forested ecosystems, but none resemble Chasmanthium latifolium.  A similar species with regards to shade tolerance and vegetative growth habits, is savanna panic grass (Phanopyrum gymnocarpon).  Older references refer to this plant as Panicum gymnocarpon.  Phanopyrum occurs on very wet (ponded) sites and the inflorescence is completely different.  Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus) in east Texas and Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) further west, commonly occupies similar forested sites but the seed head remains upright and the leaves of wildrye are clustered much more towards the base.

 

Management

Indian seaoats prefers a rich, well-drained soil and partial shade, approximately six hours of sun each day.  If spikelets are not removed before they mature, they propagate rapidly by seed.  Indian seaoats have no known diseases associated with it. 

 

Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

None known, though it is commonly available from selected seed companies and nurseries.

 

Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information.  Look in the phone book under ”United States Government.”  The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture.”

 

References

Allen, C.M. 1992. Grasses of Louisiana. 2^nd ed. Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society, Louisiana. 74 p.

 

Davis, L. 2000. Texas plant fact sheet: Chasmanthium latifolium.  USDA, NRCS, Nacogdoches Technical Office #2, Nacogdoches, Texas.

 

Godfrey, R.K. & J.W. Wooten. 1979. Aquatic and wetland plants of Southeastern United States – Monocotyledons. University of Georgia Press, Athens. 234 p.

 

Hitchcock, A.S. 1950. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. 2^nd ed. (revised by Agnes Chases.) U.S. Dept. of Agr. Misc. Publ. 200, 181 p.

 

USDA NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS database.  <https://plants.usda.gov>.  Accessed: 050928. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 

USDI Geological Survey. 2002. Butterflies of North America-butterflies of Oklahoma. Linda’s roadside skipper.  Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.   https://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/BFLYUSA/ok/6255.htm

 

Prepared By

Lee Davis

USDA NRCS Nacogdoches Technical Office #2, Nacogdoches, Texas and Marya Gates, National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 

Species Coordinator

Lee Davis

USDA, NRCS, Nacogdoches Technical Office #2, Nacogdoches, Texas

 

Edited 08jan01 jsp; 14feb03 ahv; 05jun06 jsp

 

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS Web site<https://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials Program Web site <https://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>