Shattercane
June 15, 2015
Print
EmailSorghum bicolor (L.) Moench Poaceae (Grass family)
Life cycle
Erect summer annual.
Leaves
Leaves are rolled in the bud, sparsely hairy at the base. Leaf sheaths are hairless but can be sparsely hairy at maturity. Leaves are 1 to 4 inches wide at maturity with a prominent, white midrib.
Shattercane plant showing white midrib.
Ligule
Membranous with a fringe of hairs.
Stems
Erect, robust stems grow up to 8 feet tall, resembling corn.
Shattercane in corn.
Flowers and fruit
The seedhead is a large, open panicle. Spikelets are paired as fertile (long) and sterile (short) florets. Reddish black, rounded, flattened seeds are ellipsoid to ovoid and shiny, they often shatter before crop harvest.
Shattercane seedhead.
Reproduction
Seeds.
Print a PDF of this page: Shattercane
Other Documents in this Series
You Might Also Be Interested In
-
DATA IN BRIEF - A synthesized dataset of Pacific Arctic marine mammal occurrences (1860-2024)
Published on September 8, 2025
-
ACS NANO - Opportunities and Challenges of DNA Materials toward Sustainable Development Goals
Published on March 18, 2025
Accessibility Questions:
For questions about accessibility and/or if you need additional accommodations for a specific document, please send an email to ANR Communications & Marketing at anrcommunications@anr.msu.edu.