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Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench subsp. bicolor

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Family :

Famille :

Poaceae

Synonym(s) :

Synonyme(s) :

Holcus bicolor L. (Basionym)
Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench var. bicolor
Andropogon sorghum (L.) Brot.
Andropogon sorghum (L.) Brot. subsp. sorghum 
Andropogon sorghum (L.) Brot. var. sorghum 
Holcus sorghum L.
Holcus sorghum L. var. sorghum 
Sorghum vulgare Pers.
Sorghum vulgare Pers. var. vulgare 

Source of synonym names USDA-ARS 2022

Common Name(s) :

Nom(s) commun(s) :

Sorghum

(English) (Wiersema and León 1999; Barkworth et al. 2003; AOSA 2021)

Daza (Spanish) (Wiersema and León 1999)

Durra (English, Swedish) (LHBH 1976; Wiersema and León 1999; Aldén et al, 2012)

Feterita (English) (Wiersema and León 1999)

Forage sorghum (English) (LHBH 1976; Wiersema and León 1999)

Gao liang (高粱) (Chinese) (van Wyk 2005; eFloras 2022)

Grain sorghum (English) (LHGH 1976)

Gras mil (French) (Rehm 1994)

Great millet (English) (Rehm 1994; Wiersema and León 1999; Mabberly 2017)

Gros mil (French) (Wiersema and León 1999)

Jowar (Hindi) (van Wyk 2005)

Kaffir-corn (English) (LHGH 1976; Wiersema and León 1999)

Milo (English, Spanish) (LHBH 1976; van Wyk 2005; AOSA 2021)

Mohrehirse (German) (van Wyk 2005)

Morokoshi (Japanese) (van Wyk 2005)

Sato-morokoshi (Japanese) (Wiersema and León 1999)

Shattercane (English) (AOSA 2021)

Broomcorn (English) (LHBH 1976; AOSA 2021)

Sorgho (French) (Wiersema and León 1999)

Sorgo (French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese) (ISTA 1982; Rehm 1994; Wiersema and León 1999; van Wyk 2005)

Sorgo coltivato (Italian) (van Wyk 2005)

Sorgo comun (Spanish) (van Wyk 2005)

Sorugamu (Japanese) (van Wyk 2005)

Sweet sorghum (English) (Wiersema and León 1999; El Bassam 1998)

Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor (broom corn) caryopses and spikelets

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor (broom corn) caryopses and spikelets

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor (grain sorghum) caryopses

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor (sweet sorghum) caryopses and spikelets

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor (grain sorghum) caryopses, embryo view (left) and hilum view (right)

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety black hull white kafir (Kafir race) sessile spikelets in lateral view with attached pedicellate spikelets. Scale in mm.

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety black hull white kafir (Kafir race) caryopsis in embryo view and hilum view. Scale in mm.

     

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety dwarf broomcorn (Bicolor race) caryopses in embryo view and hilum view. Scale in mm.

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety dwarf broomcorn (Bicolor race) spikelets in ventral view (two left) and dorsal view (two right). The race Bicolor is highly variable in size, shape, and colour.  Generally, in the Bicolor race the glumes clasp the caryopsis, which may or may not exceed the length of the glumes at maturity. Scale in mm.

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety feterita (Caudatum race) caryopsis in embryo view (left) and hilum view (right).  Note embryo outline usually not visible in this variety. Scale in mm.

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety feterita (Caudatum race) sessile spikelets in lateral view.  Note the strongly arched ‘turtleback’ shape of one side of the caryopsis and nearly flat on the other side is characteristic of the Caudatum race. Scale in mm.

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety freed sorgo (Bicolor race) caryopses in embryo view and hilum view. Scale in mm.

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety freed sorgo (Bicolor race) spikelets. The race Bicolor is highly variable in size, shape, and colour.  Generally, in the Bicolor race the glumes clasp the caryopsis, which may or may not exceed the length of the glumes at maturity. Scale in mm.

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety shallu (Guinea race) spikelet in lateral view.  Note the glumes in varieties of the Guinea race splay open wide at maturity and the caryopsis is twisted 90 degrees in relation to the glumes such that the embryo does not lay flat against the glume. Scale in mm.

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety brown durra (Durra race) caryopsis in embryo view (left) and hilum view (right). Scale in mm.

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety durra brown (Durra race) spikelet. Note in this variety the base of the glume is leathery (coriaceous) and the upper portions of the glume is papery. Scale in mm.

  • Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety shallu (Guinea race) caryopses in embryo and hilum views. Scale in mm.

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Overview

Aperçu

Regulation :

Remarques Réglementation:

    Regulation Notes:

    Distribution :

    Répartition :

    Habitat and Crop Association :

    Habitat et Cultures Associées :

    Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :

    Utilisation économique, zone de culture et association de mauvaises herbes :

    Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor is regarded as the world’s fourth most important cereal grain after wheat, rice, and maize (Mabberly 2017). The plants are heat and drought tolerant, making it well adapted for growing in semi-arid tropical, sub-tropical, and warm-temperate regions where it is widely cultivated for forage, fodder, cereal, sweet juice, syrup, fiber for brooms and brushes, flavoring for beer, nutraceuticals, and various other industrial uses (de Wet 1978; Mabberly 2017; Aruna and Visarada 2019; USDA-ARS 2022). The leading sorghum-grain producing countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, and the United States (OECD 2017). Five cultivated races and at least ten intermediate races (crosses-among the five primary races) are described by Harlan and de Wet (1972).

    Major weeds reported in association with S. bicolor subsp. bicolor include: Acanthospermum hispidum DC., Achyranthes aspera L., Ageratum conyzoides L., Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Amaranthus viridis L., Arivela viscosa (L.) Raf., Bassia scoparia (L.) A. J. Scott, Boerhavia diffusa L., Celosia argentea L., Chloris barbata Sw., Commelina benghalensis L., Convolvulus arvensis L., Corchorus acutangulus Lam., Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Cyperus rotundus L., Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd., Digera muricata (L.) Mart., Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Dinebra retroflexa (Vahl) Panz., Echinochloa colona (L.) Link, Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv., Eclipta prostrata (L.) L., Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn., Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees, Euphorbia hirta L., Ipomoea hederacea Jacq., Panicum repens L., Portulaca oleracea L., Salsola tragus L., Setaria viridis (L.) P. Beauv., Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (shattercane), Sorghum halepense L. Pers., Striga spp. (parasitic), Trianthema portulacastrum L., Tribulus terrestris L., Tridax procumbens L., Urochloa ramosa (L.) T. Q. Nguyen, and Xanthium strumarium L. (Mishra & Talwar 2020).

    Duration of Life Cycle :

    Durée du cycle vital:

    Annual*

    *short lived perennial cultivated primarily as an annual

    Dispersal Unit Type :

    Type d’unité de dispersion :

    Spikelet/Caryopsis

    General Information

    RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX

    Sorghum bicolor is native to Africa and is believed to have been domesticated 3000 to 5000 years ago (de Wet 1978; van Wyk 2005). Cultivation of sorghum spread to northwestern India by the latter part of the second millennium B. C. and became an important crop in China during the 13th century following the Mongolian conquest (de Wet 1978; Barkworth et al. 2003). Sorghum was introduced to the Western Hemisphere in the early 16th century (Barkworth et al. 2003), with the United States and Mexico now recognized as the top producers of grain sorghum worldwide (OECD 2017). Although grown in many regions of the world for a variety of purposes, sorghum currently remains a staple food in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and China (van Wyk 2005). For a detailed history of sorghum domestication see Simmonds (1976) and de Wet (1978).

    Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor plants have stout stems that can reach 5 m or more, frequently tillering (Barkworth et al. 2003) and the deep fibrous root system contributes to its tolerance to drought conditions (Rooney 2016). Cultivated sorghum is typically grown as an annual crop but can behave as a perennial under certain environmental conditions and produce a second grain crop from the unharvested plant bases following the first cutting (OECS 2017). In general, grain sorghums have short panicles with short panicle branches, broomcorn sorghums have elongated panicles with long panicle branches, and sweet sorghums have sweet juicy stems.

    Cultivated sorghums have been described in numerous ways by a variety of authors. One study attempts to simplify the complexity of the sorghum cultivars by assigning them to five races and ten intermediate races (crosses-among the five primary races) (Harlan and de Wet 1972). The morphological distinctions of the five races based on inflorescence, spikelet, and caryopsis characters are described as follows (Harlan and de Wet 1972):
    • Bicolor: the inflorescence is usually an open panicle; the caryopsis is elongate, sometimes slightly egg-shaped, nearly symmetrical dorso-ventrally; glumes clasping the caryopsis, which may be completely enclosed, or the upper one-fourth of the caryopsis is exposed; the spikelets remain attached to the plant at maturity (persistent). Some cultivars of race Bicolor are grown for their sweet stems used in syrup or molasses production and for livestock forage, while others are grown for the bitter grain used to flavor sorghum beer (Harlan and de Wet 1972).
    • Caudatum: the inflorescence is a compact to open panicle; the caryopsis is asymmetrical, the embryo side of the caryopsis is flat or somewhat concave, the hilum side is rounded and bulging (turtleback); the persistent style points toward the embryo side of the caryopsis; the glumes are about one-half the length of the caryopsis or less. This sorghum race is widely grown in Chad, Ethiopia, Sudan, northeastern Nigeria, and Uganda (de Wet 1978; Dahlberg and Rosenow 2018). Known for its characteristic high yield and excellent seed quality, Caudatum is one of the most agronomically important races of sorghum and has become an important germplasm source in modern sorghum breeding programs worldwide (Dahlberg and Rosenow 2018).
    • Durra: the inflorescence is usually a compact panicle, the stem of which is often recurved or may occasionally straight (Dahlberg and Rosenow 2018); the caryopsis is broadly egg-shaped and widest slightly above the middle; glumes are very wide, and the upper half of the glume is thin and papery while the lower half of the glume is thick and leathery. Durra sorghums are widely grown in the Southern Sahara, arid West Africa, the Middle East and in parts of India (de Wet 1978).
    • Guinea: the inflorescence is usually a large open panicle with drooping (pendulous) branches; the caryopsis is dorso-ventrally flattened, nearly lens-shaped in outline, at maturity the caryopsis is twisted 90 degrees between the widely gaping in-rolled glumes; the glumes are about as long or longer than the caryopsis. Guinea sorghums are grown mostly in West Africa and along the East African rift from Malawi to Swaziland (de Wet 1978) and are grown widely in South Asia (Dahlberg and Rosenow 2018). The grains can be cooked and eaten like rice or may be picked before maturity and the grains eaten raw after drying (de Wet 1978).
    • Kafir: the inflorescence is usually compact and cylindrical in outline; the caryopsis is nearly symmetrical, nearly round in cross-section; the glumes are variable in length and clasp the caryopsis. Kafir sorghums are important staple grains grown across the eastern and southern savanna from Tanzania to South Africa (de Wet 1978) and are also widely utilized in northern Nigeria (Dahlberg and Rosenow 2018).

    The intermediate races have combined characters of two or more races. For more details on sorghum races and their intermediates, see Harlan and de Wet (1972), de Wet (1978), and Dahlberg and Rosenow (2018). For a comprehensive assessment of the biology of Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor, including details on the centre of domestication, current geographic distribution, cultivation practices, reproductive biology, genetics, ecology, and other topics, see OECD (2017).

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    Identification

    Identification

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    • Spikelet (sessile)

      Size

      • Sessile spikelet length: 4.3 – 6.7 mm, average 5.1 mm; spikelet width: 2.3 – 7.6 mm, average 3.8 mm (D. Meyer*).

      Size measurements grouped by Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor Race.

      Sorghum Race Spikelet Length Spikelet Width
      Bicolor (n=60) 4.3 – 6.7 mm; average 5.1 mm 2.3 – 3.9 mm; average 3.2 mm
      Caudatum (n=10) 4.8– 5.7 mm; average 5.9 mm 4.5 – 5.8 mm; average 5.1 mm
      Durra No spikelets available
      Guinea (n=15) 4.7 – 6.5 mm; average 5.4 mm 3.3 – 7.6 mm; average 5.8 mm
      Kafir (n=10) 4.4 – 5.4 mm; average 4.9 mm 3.3 – 3.7 mm; average 3.5 mm
      *Note: minimum and maximum based on combined 10 samples with a random selection of 95 sessile spikelets in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020).

      Size information from literature:
      • Sessile spikelet length: 3.0 – 9.0 mm; width 2.0 – 5.0 mm (de Wet 1978; Barkworth et al. 2003).
      • Sessile spikelet length: 4.0 – 6.0 mm (Tutin et al. 1980).
      • Sessile spikelet length: 4.0 – 9.0 mm (Baldwin et al. 2012).
      • Sessile spikelet length: 3.5 – 5.5 mm (eFloras 2022).

      Shape

      • The sessile spikelet shape is variable depending on cultivar; round, oval, oblong, or teardrop shaped.

      Surface Texture

      • Sessile spikelet surface generally smooth and shiny; depending on the cultivar the surface may be glabrous or covered with short and/or long hairs.

      Colour

      • Glumes of the sessile spikelet are ivory, yellow, orange-yellow, light to dark brown, reddish brown, red, purple, or black.
      • Colour of hairs on glumes vary depending on cultivar; white, yellow, light brown, purplish brown.

      Other Features

      Glumes

      • Sessile spikelet with pair of leathery (coriaceous) glumes that may entirely enclose the caryopsis, or the caryopsis may protrude slightly or well beyond the tips of the glumes. Occasionally the glumes may be papery (chartaceous), primarily in the upper half.
      • Glumes are equal or nearly equal in length.
      • Margins of the lower glume may or may not overlap the margins of the upper glume.
      • Lower glume may be keeled along the lateral nerves, and if so, may have a row of short, stiff hairs near the tip of the glume.

      Spikelet callus (spikelet attachment scar)

      • Sessile spikelet callus blunt and may be surrounded by a ring of hairs.

      Attached spikelet stalks

      • Pair of attached spikelet stalks (rachis connecting to the next sessile spikelet above and the pedicel connecting to the pedicellate spikelet) are often hairy along the margins, and usually unevenly broken at the apex.
      • Spikelet stalks 1.0 – 2.6 mm long (Barkworth et al. 2003).

      Other features

      • Sessile spikelets tardily separate from the inflorescence usually by fracture of the spikelet stalks.
      • Spikelet stalks remaining attached to the sessile spikelet are usually inconsistent in length because the tips are broken off during dispersal (rather than separation by abscission forming the well-developed cups at the ends of the stalks as in S. bicolor subsp. verticilliflorum).
      • Occasionally, the spikelet stalks may have well-developed cup-shaped tips.

      Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety black hull white kafir (Kafir race) sessile spikelets in lateral view with attached pedicellate spikelets. Scale in mm.

    • Fertile floret of sessile spikelet

      Size

      • Fertile lemma length: 4 – 5 mm (Baldwin 2012).

      Surface Texture

      • Surface of the fertile floret smooth.

      Colour

      • Fertile floret white coloured.

      Other Features

      Fertile lemma

      • Fertile lemma structural thickness hyaline to membranous (thin, transparent to translucent).

      Fertile palea

      • Fertile palea, if present, hyaline to membranous.

      Lemma awn

      • Awn of the fertile lemma (if present) is 4 – 30 mm (Baldwin et al. 2012; eFloras 2022).

    • Sterile floret of sessile spikelet

      Other Features

      • Sterile lemma hyaline to membranous (inconspicuous unless the sessile spikelet is dissected).
      • Sterile palea is absent.

    • Spikelet (pedicellate)

      Size

      • Pedicellate spikelet length: 2.3 – 3.8 mm, average 3.2 mm (D. Meyer*)
      *Note: minimum and maximum or 15 pedicellate spikelets in a normal range of this species using ISMA image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020).

      Size information from literature:
      • Pedicellate spikelet length: 3.0 – 6.0 mm long, usually shorter than the sessile spikelet (Barkworth et al. 2003).
      • Pedicellate spikelet length: 3.0 – 6.0 mm (Baldwin et al. 2012).

      Shape

      • Pedicellate spikelet narrowly teardrop shaped.

      Surface Texture

      • Glumes of the pedicellate spikelet have a membranous, papery, or leathery (coriaceous) structural thickness.

      Colour

      • Pedicellate spikelet light yellow coloured.

      Other Features

      • Pedicellate spikelet may remain attached (via stalk or pedicel) to the sessile spikelet at maturity as part of the dispersal unit.
      • Pedicellate spikelets are staminate or sterile ( de Wet 1978; Barkworth et al. 2003).

      Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor variety black hull white kafir (Kafir race) sessile spikelets in lateral view with attached pedicellate spikelets. Scale in mm.

    • Caryopsis

      Size

      • Caryopsis length: 3.1 – 5.8 mm, average 4.4 mm; caryopsis width: 2.4 – 5.1 mm, average 3.6 mm (D. Meyer*).

      Size measurements grouped by Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor Race.

      Sorghum Race Caryopsis Length Caryopsis Width
      Bicolor 3.1 – 5.1 mm; average 4.1 mm 2.4 – 3.9 mm; average 3.1 mm
      Caudatum 4.2 – 5.2 mm; average 4.7 mm 3.7 – 5.0 mm; average 4.4 mm
      Durra 3.9 – 5.4 mm; average 4.8 mm 3.7 – 5.0 mm; average 4.5 mm
      Guinea 3.6 – 5.8 mm; average 4.6 mm 2.6 – 5.1 mm; average 3.6 mm
      Kafir 3.4 – 4.4 mm; average 4.0 mm 2.5 – 3.5 mm; average 3.2 mm

       
      *Note: minimum and maximum based on combined 15 samples with a random selection of 129 caryopses in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020).

      Shape

      • Caryopsis round, oval, or egg-shaped; dorsal-ventrally compressed.

      Surface Texture

      • Caryopsis surface is smooth and dull.

      Colour

      • Caryopsis light brown, reddish brown, red, pink, purple, yellow, grey, or white in colour, sometimes with transverse lines or checkered pattern of lighter surface colour and darker undercoat colour.

      Other Features

      Hilum

      • Hilum a dark round spot located in a depression near base of caryopsis.

      Style bases

      • Style bases may remain attached at top of caryopsis.

      Other

      • Caryopses usually exposed (protruding from between the glumes) at maturity.

      Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor (grain sorghum) caryopses

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    • Embryo

      Size

      • Embryo length: 2.0 – 4.3 mm, average 2.9 mm; embryo width: 1.5 – 3.2 mm, average 2.2 mm (D. Meyer*).
      • Embryo about two-thirds to three-quarters the length of the caryopsis.

      Size measurements grouped by Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor Race.

      Sorghum Race Embryo Length Embryo Width
      Bicolor (n=58) 2.0 – 3.6 mm; average 2.8 mm 1.5 – 2.6 mm; average 2.1 mm
      Caudatum
      Durra (n=19) 2.5 – 4.3 mm; average 3.3 mm 2.0 – 3.2 mm; average 2.5 mm
      Guinea (n=13) 2.3 – 3.6 mm; average 2.8 mm 2.1 – 2.4 mm; average 2.2 mm
      Kafir (n=10) 2.2 – 3.1 mm; average 2.8 mm 1.8 – 2.2 mm; average 2.1 mm
      *Note: minimum and maximum based on combined 13 samples with a random selection of 111 caryopses in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020).

      Shape

      • Embryo with straight (linear) root-shoot axis and attached oval shaped scutellum.

      Endosperm

      • Endosperm solid and horn-like, starchy, mealy, or a combination of these textures (Dahlberg and Rosenow 2018).
      • Endosperm translucent amber, yellow, and/or white coloured (Dahlberg and Rosenow 2018).

      Other Features

      • Embryo located on the dorsal surface of the caryopsis.

      Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor (grain sorghum) caryopses, embryo view (left) and hilum view (right)

    Identification Tips

    CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION

    Many Sorghum species, especially the cultivated types of Sorghum bicolor nothosubsp. drummondii (sudangrass), S. bicolor subsp. verticilliflorum (common wild sorghum), and S. ×almum (Columbus grass) have similar spikelet sizes, shapes, and colours to some types of S. bicolor subsp. bicolor. Sessile spikelets and caryopses of some types of S. bicolor subsp. bicolor tend to be wider than those of sudangrass, common wild sorghum and Columbus grass. The pair of spikelet stalks on dispersal units of cultivated S. bicolor subsp. bicolor generally have narrow irregularly broken tips, while the pair of spikelet stalks on dispersal units of S. ×almum and S. bicolor subsp. verticilliflorum usually have well-developed cup-shaped tips.

    Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor (grain sorghum) caryopses, embryo view (left) and hilum view (right)

    Additional Botany Information

    AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES

    Flowers/Inflorescence

    • Inflorescence a compact to open panicle; size and compactness diverse depending on cultivar.
    • Spikelets mostly in pairs along each inflorescence branch.
    • Characterization and classification of races and cultivars is usually based on sessile spikelet and caryopsis morphology (Harlan and de Wet 1972).

    Vegetative Features

    • Plant height, tillering, stem size, juiciness of stem tissue, etc. vary widely among cultivars (Harlan and de Wet 1972).

    Similar Species

    ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES

    Similar species are based on a study of seed morphology of various species, and those with similar dispersal units are identified. The study is limited by physical specimen and literature availability at the time of examination, and possibly impacted by the subjectivity of the authors based on their knowledge and experience. Providing similar species information for seed identification is to make users aware of similarities that could possibly result in misidentification.

     

    Sorghum ×almum Parodi

    [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench × S. halepense L.] (USDA-ARS 2022)

    Almum grass (English) (Wiersema and León 1999)
    Almum sorghum (English) (Wiersema and León 1999)
    Columbus grass (English) (Wiersema and León 1999)
    Sorgho d’Argentine (French) (Wiersema and León 1999)
    Columbusgras (German) (Wiersema and León 1999)
    Sorgo almo (Italian) (ISTA 1982)
    Sorgo negro (Spanish) (Wiersema and León 1999)

    Sorghum ×almum is a rhizomatous short-lived perennial plant (Gould 1975) and a natural hybrid between Sorghum halepense and S. bicolor and is native to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay (USDA-ARS 2022). It is sometimes grown as a forage grass in the southern United States; however, Sorghum ×almum is classified as a noxious weed species in at least 12 U.S. states (USDA-AMS 2022) and is considered a harmful weed in China and New Zealand (USDA-PCIT-PExD 2021).

    The dispersal units of S. ×almum are very similar to some types S. bicolor in colour and shape. Sessile spikelets are similar in length to cultivated S. bicolor subsp. bicolor (sorghum) but are generally narrower than most types of cultivated sorghum. Unlike most types of cultivated sorghum, disarticulation of dispersal units is usually by abscission and the attached spikelet stalks have cup-shaped tips. The caryopsis is shorter than the sessile spikelet glumes and remains enclosed by the glumes at maturity.

    Size range measurements (D. Meyer*):
    • Sessile spikelet length: 4.5 – 6 mm, average 5.3 mm; width: 1.9 – 2.7 mm, average 2.3 mm.
    • Stalk length: 0.9 – 3.3 mm, average 2.1 mm.
    • Caryopsis length: 2.7 – 3.8 mm, average 3.3 mm; width: 1.6 – 2.2 mm, average 2.0 mm.
    • Embryo length: 1.3 – 2.2 mm, average 1.9 mm.

    * Note: minimum and maximum based on 38 sessile spikelets and 11 caryopses in a normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020); spikelets taken from CDA(S)-25565, CDA(S)-25341, CDA(S)-25566; caryopses taken from CDA(S)-25341.

     

    Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench nothosubsp. drummondii (Steud.) de Wet ex Davidse

    [Sorghum ×drummondii (Steud.) Nees ex Millsp. & Chase; Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench subsp. drummondii (Steud.) de Wet ex Davidse; Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench var. drummondii (Steud.) Mohlenbr.; Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf] (USDA-ARS 2022)

    Sudangrass (English) (AOSA 2021)
    Sudan grass (English) (Wiersema and León 1999)
    Sorgho du Soudan (French) (Wiersema and León 1999)
    Sorgho menu (French) (Wiersema and León 1999)
    Sudangras (German) (Wiersema and León 1999)
    Pasto Sudán (Spanish) (Wiersema and León 1999)

    Sorghum bicolor nothosubsp. drummondii (sudangrass) is an annual plant, cultivated mainly as a forage crop (Tutin et al. 1980, Wiersema and León 1999). Sessile spikelets are similar in length to cultivated S. bicolor subsp. bicolor (sorghum) but are generally narrower than most types of cultivated sorghum. The glumes are similar to cultivars of sorghum, ranging in colour from yellow, red, light brown, dark purplish brown depending on the sudangrass cultivar. As with cultivated sorghum, the spikelets are tardily separated from the inflorescence, usually by fracture of the spikelet stalks (rachis and pedicel). The spikelet stalks attached to the sessile spikelets are of inconsistent lengths because the tips are broken off during dispersal. The caryopsis is shorter than the sessile spikelet glumes and remains enclosed by the glumes at maturity.

    Size range measurements (D. Meyer*):
    • Sessile spikelet length: 4.8 – 6.8 mm, average 5.8 mm; width: 2.0 – 3.0 mm, average 2.5 mm.
    • Caryopsis length: 3.2 – 5.3 mm, average 4.1 mm; width: 1.8 – 2.8 mm, average 2.2 mm.
    • Embryo length: 1.9 – 3.9 mm, average 2.7 mm.

    * Note: minimum and maximum based on 40 sessile spikelets and 39 caryopses in a normal range of this species following ISMA image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020); spikelets and caryopses taken from CDA(S)-25616, CDA(S)-25659, CDA(S)-25665, CDA(S)-25661.

    Size range based on measurements (CFIA**)
    • Sessile spikelet length: 5.0 – 6.0 mm; width: 2.0 – 3.0 mm.

    **Note: minimum and maximum of 10 sessile spikelets in a normal range of this species following ISMA image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020).

    Additional size information for S. bicolor nothosubsp. drummondii from literature:
    • Sessile spikelet length: 6 -7.5 mm (Tutin et al. 1980)

    Additional note on cultivated hybrid crosses of grain sorghum and sudangrass (i.e., S. bicolor subsp. bicolor × S. bicolor nothosubsp. drummondii, sorghum-sudangrass hybrid): These hybrids are used as forage crops. Dispersal units of such hybrid crosses can have characteristics of both parents or can have a similar appearance to one or the other parent.

     

    Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench subsp. verticilliflorum (Steud.) de Wet ex Wiersema & J. Dahlb.

    [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench subsp. arundinaceum (Desv.) de Wet & J. R. Harlan ex Davidse; Sorghum verticilliflorum (Steud.) Stapf] (USDA-ARS 2022)

    Common wild sorghum (English) (USDA-ARS 2022)

    Sorghum bicolor subsp. verticilliflorum (common wild sorghum) is a wild annual relative of cultivated Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor (sorghum) that is native to Africa and Madagascar. Common wild sorghum has been introduced to North, Central, and South America, Australia, and India (USDA-ARS 2022) and is considered a harmful weed in Honduras (USDA-PCIT-PExD 2021). Sessile spikelets of wild common sorghum are similar in length to some larger cultivars of sorghum but are generally narrower than most cultivars. The two attached stalks usually differ in width (one thick and one thin) and have cup-shaped tips, whereas the two attached stalks of cultivated sorghum are similar in width and usually have irregularly broken tips.

    Size range measurements (D. Meyer*):
    • Sessile spikelet length: 6.0 – 7.1 mm, average 6.5 mm; width: 1.9 – 2.6 mm, average 2.3 mm.

    * Note: minimum and maximum based on 15 sessile spikelets in a normal range of this species following ISMA image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020); spikelets taken from CDA-S-25674 and CDA-S-25573.

    Additional size information from literature:
    • Sessile spikelet length 5.0 – 8.0 mm, glumes with long hairs; attached pedicellate spikelets usually longer than the sessile spikelet (de Wet 1978).

     

    Comparison of similar species (based on D. Meyer measurements)

    Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor Sorghum ×almum Sorghum bicolor nothosubsp. drummondii Sorghum bicolor subsp. verticilliflorum
    Sessile spikelet length 4.3 – 6.7 mm 4.5 – 6 mm 4.8 – 6.8 mm 6.0 – 7.1 mm
    Sessile spikelet width 2.3 – 7.6 mm 1.9 – 2.7 mm 2.0 – 3.0 mm 1.9 – 2.6 mm
    Type of disarticulation Fracture of spikelet stalks Complete abscission of spikelet stalks Fracture of spikelet stalks Complete abscission of spikelet stalks
    Caryopsis length 3.1 – 5.8 mm 2.7 – 3.8 mm 3.2 – 5.3 mm NA
    Caryopsis width 2.4 – 5.1 mm 1.6 – 2.2 mm 1.8 – 2.8 mm NA
    Embryo length 2.0 – 4.3 mm 1.3 – 2.2 mm 1.9 – 3.9 mm NA

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    Reference(s)

    Référence(s)

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    U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS). 2022. State Noxious-Weed Seed Requirements Recognized in the Administration of the Federal Seed Act. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/StateNoxiousWeedsSeedList.pdf Accessed May 9, 2022.

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    Author(s)

    AUTEUR(S)

    Deborah Meyer

    California Department of Food and Agriculture (retired)

    Acknowledgement:

    To Krishan Shah, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, for his assistance with literature search and summary on economic use, cultivation areas, weed associations and general information.
    To Jennifer Neudorf and Angela Salzl, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, for their review and suggestions for improving the text.

    contactus@idseed.org

    Last updated
    on 2023-03-27

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