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Morphology
- Culm
- Erect, bases decumbent; nodes 4-6, conspicuous, sparsely to densely pilose.
- Blades
- Basal and cauline; 6 to 14 inches long, 1/5 to 3/5 inch wide, flat, narrowed at base, glabrous to pilose, especially adaxially.
- Sheath
- Terete, pilose to hispid or rarely glabrous, margins connate; auricles absent.
- Ligule
- Membranous, obtuse to truncate, erose, less than 1/12 inch long.
- Inflorescence
- Panicles, 4 to 10 inches long, very open; branches erect to spreading to drooping, often flexuous.
- Spikelets
- 3/5 to 1 1/5 inch long (excluding awns), 1/8 to 2/5 inch wide, nearly terete, awned; pedicels 1/3 to 4/5 inch long; florets 4-11; glumes sparsely to densely hairy; first glume 1-veined, 1/5 to 1/8 inch long; second glume 3-5-veined, 1/4 to 2/5 inch long; lemmas 1/3 to 2/5 inch long, pubescent, awned; awns 1/5 to 2/5 inch long, straight.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Moist, rocky woodlands; stream banks; sheltered ravines, roadsides.
- Distribution
- East 1/3 of Kansas
Practical Information
- Forage Value
- Good forage quality while the plant is growing but quality declines with maturity.
Additional Notes
Comments
Non-rhizomatous. Forms small clumps.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Grass
- Family
- Poaceae – Grass Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 28-60 inches
- Origin
- Native
- Last Updated
- 2025-08-29
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: May, June, July