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Forked Witchgrass; Cypress Panicgrass; Forked Witch Grass; Cypress Panic Grass

Dichanthelium dichotomum var. dichotomum

Found in moderately wet to dry woods, thickets, and woodland openings. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

49
Good

Native to West Virginia (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 41%

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At a glance

Not yet recorded · Height · Spread · Light · Soil · Life cycle · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 20 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Forest edges and thickets

Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 133 animals.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

22CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Panicum

  • Anatrytone loganDelaware Skipper, Logan Skipper, Black-Vein Skipper
  • Ancyloxypha numitorLeast Skipper
  • Ctenucha virginicaVirginia Ctenucha
  • Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
  • Dargida rubripennisThe Pink-Streak
  • Dichagyris acclivisSwitchgrass Dart, Inclined Dart
  • Hesperia leonardusLeonard's Skipper, Blazing Star Skipper, Pawnee Prairie Skipper, Pawnee Montane Skipper
  • Hesperia sassacusIndian Skipper
  • Hylephila phyleusFiery Skipper
  • Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Show all 22
  • Lethe anthedonNorthern Pearly Eye
  • Leucania linitaReed Wainscot, Linen Wainscot
  • Lon hobomokHobomok Skipper
  • Marimatha nigrofimbriaBlack-Bordered Lemon
  • Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
  • Mocis texanaTexas Mocis
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Polites egeremetNorthern Broken-Dash
  • Polites themistoclesTawny-Edged Skipper
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Idioglossa miraculosa
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
35BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Panicum

  • Acanthis flammeaCommon Redpoll
  • Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
  • Aix sponsaWood Duck
  • Anas creccaGreen-winged Teal
  • Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
  • Anthus spragueiiSprague's Pipit
  • Aythya collarisRing-necked Duck
  • Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
  • Calcarius ornatusChestnut-collared Longspur
  • Calcarius pictusSmith's Longspur
Show all 35
  • Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
  • Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
  • Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
  • Contopus virensEastern Wood-Pewee
  • Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
  • Dendrocygna bicolorFulvous Whistling-Duck
  • Dolichonyx oryzivorusBobolink
  • Fulica americanaAmerican Coot
  • Gallinula galeataCommon Gallinule
  • Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
  • Mareca streperaGadwall
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
  • Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
  • Peucaea aestivalisBachman's Sparrow
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
  • Pooecetes gramineusVesper Sparrow
  • Porzana carolinaSora
  • Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
  • Spizella pusillaField Sparrow
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Xanthocephalus xanthocephalusYellow-headed Blackbird
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
POACEAE

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Conservation status

West Virginia rankNot available
Global rankG5TNR
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources