Common name: Johnson Grass
Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. APNI* 
Description: Rhizomatous perennial to 2 m high.
Leaves with ligule membranous, 1–3 mm long, with hairs to 2 mm long; orifice with hair to 1 mm long; blade flat, to 2 cm wide.
Inflorescence open, 25–45 cm long, 3–15 cm wide, axils with hairs to 1 mm long. Spikelets paired, 4–6 mm long, florets 2; lower spikelet sessile, dorsally compressed, upper spikelet pedicellate, narrower than lower spikelet, terminal spikelets in triplets. Glumes 4–6 mm long, with hairs to 0.5 mm long; lower 3-toothed, 7–11-nerved, 2-keeled, keels winged forming small lateral teeth at apex; upper 5-nerved. Sterile lemma 2–5 mm long, acute or 2-lobed, sometimes with an awn to 7 mm long; palea absent or reduced. Bisexual lemma 4–5 mm long, 2-toothed, awnless, 2-nerved, margins with hairs to 0.5 mm long; palea absent or reduced.
Flowering: Flowers in summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Weed of crops and roadsides.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP, *SFWP
Other Australian states: *Qld Vic. *W.A. *S.A.
Hybridizes with Grain Sorghum (S. bicolor subsp. bicolor).
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & K. L. McClay; Jacobs, S.W.L., Whalley, R.D.B. & Wheeler, D.J.B.
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993): Grasses of New South Wales, Fourth Edition (2008).
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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