Re: Probably Shattercane

[Mark Mayfield]

Hi James,

I always cringe when I get asked this question. The taxonomy of the Sorghums is complex and I'm not sure I understand what to call shattercane (taxonomically)! The plants in the images appear to be annual, or at least lack the rhizomes, they are very thick culmed and wide-leaved, and the inflorescences are spreading somewhat with dark separated spikelets. In my crude sense of how to identify these, I would say "shattercane" is correct based on these features alone. That doesn't mean they are not some kind of hybrid or backcross with Sorghum halepense, but I don't think so. If I had to put a recognized name on them, Sorghum bicolor subsp. verticilliflorum is at least somewhat correct. For practical purposes, it's "shattercane" until I can figure out something more helpful.

Best, Mark

Mark H. Mayfield
Division of Biology
1717 Claflin Rd. 
Manhattan, Kansas 66506-4900
785-532-2795 (voice)

Office: 304 Bushnell Hall

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From: James Coover <jco...@ksu.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2025 13:46
To: Carolyn Ferguson <fe...@ksu.edu>; Mark Mayfield <mark...@ksu.edu>
Subject: Probably Shattercane

 

Hello Carolyn and Mark, 

Usually, I send you two the oddest cool little plants that aren't in any of the books, a mystery of the plains...but this is not one of them. In fact, I'm 99% sure that this is just regular ol' shattercane that can be found in nearly any sorghum field. However, it was requested that I sent some pictures in for an offical to be sure that it is certainly not Johnsongrass. 

Sorry for the lower quality phone pics.  I'd prefer that pictures aren't texted so the quality isn't reduced but this is what I was sent.  What do you two think? Shattercane or some Johnsongrass hybrid?

Thank you,

James

James Coover

Crop Production Agent
K-State Research & Extension

Wildcat District

Girard - (620) 724-8233