Silver bluestem
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Morphology
- Culm
- Erect or ascending, solid, often branching below, grooved on 1 side; often short, nodes with flattened hairs.
- Blades
- Flat or folded, 1 to 10 inches long, to 1/4 inch wide, waxy, glabrous or thinly hairy at collar, midrib prominent; margins brownish to whitish; tips taper to points.
- Sheath
- Shorter than internodes, smooth, slightly keeled near collar.
- Ligule
- Membranous, margins notched to entire.
- Inflorescence
- Panicles, 2.5 to 6 inches long, broader near middle or base, plume-like, silky, silvery-white; branches 6 or more, each 1 to 1.5 inch long.
- Spikelets
- Paired, lower spikelet sessile and perfect, upper spikelet stalked and sterile; first glume silky hairy at base; fertile lemmas with awns 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, bent.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Dry prairies, roadsides, waste areas, and rocky slopes, particularly on sandy and limestone sites.
- Distribution
- Throughout Kansas.
Practical Information
- Forage Value
- Fair for livestock and wildlife but is usually only grazed when young.
- Uses
- The Kiowa used the stems for toothpicks.
Additional Notes
Comments
Tufted. Silver bluestem spreads quickly in disturbed or overgrazed areas.
Synonyms
Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.
Scientific Name: Bothriochloa saccharoides
Full Citation: Bothriochloa saccharoides Rydb.
Subspecies/Varieties:
- var. torreyanus Gould
Scientific Name: Andropogon saccharoides
Full Citation: Andropogon saccharoides Sw.
Subspecies/Varieties:
- var. torreyanus Hack.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Grass
- Family
- Poaceae - Grass Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 18 - 42 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-07-25
Flowering Period
Blooms: July, August, September