7a. var. ashei (G. Pearson ex Ashe) Fernald

Dichanthelium commutatum var. ashei (G. Pearson ex Ashe) Mohlenbr.

Leaf sheaths densely pubescent with short, bent hairs. Leaf blades 5–11 mm wide, somewhat thicker and firmer, often purplish tinged toward the base. Spikelets 2.1–2.7 mm long. May–July (vernal), July–November (autumnal).

Scattered in the Ozark and Mississippi Lowlands Divisions (eastern U.S. west to Michigan and Oklahoma). Bottomland forests, mesic to dry upland forests, and banks of streams, on acidic substrates.