Inland saltgrass

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Inland saltgrass

Inland saltgrass blades

Inland saltgrass

Inland saltgrass

Inland saltgrass

Inland saltgrass

Inland saltgrass

Inland saltgrass

Inland saltgrass habit

Inland saltgrass flowering

Inland saltgrass pistillate inflorescence

Inland saltgrass

Morphology

Culm

Erect or decumbent at base, sometimes parallel to soil surface, coarse, solid to hollow, glabrous. Inland saltgrass is dioecious (male and female flowers occur on separate plants); pistillate plants usually shorter than staminate.

Blades

Numerous, prominently 2-ranked, stiffly ascending, flat or rolled inward from edges, rigid, 2 to 7 inches long, 1/10 to 1/6 inch wide, smooth below, rough to hairy above; tips tapering to points.

Sheath

Overlapping, open, glabrous but sometimes with few long hairs at throat.

Ligule

Short fringed membrane.

Inflorescence

Panicle, contracted; panicle of pistillate plants 1 to 2.5 inches long; panicle of staminate plants looser, 1 to 4 inches long; spikelets on short stalks.

Spikelets

Spikelets flattened, 1/3 to 1 inch long, 5-17-flowered, awnless; pistillate spikelets somewhat less flattened; glumes unequal, narrow, firm, glabrous, tips sharp-pointed; lemmas closely overlapping, tips sharp-pointed; lemmas and glumes initially membrane-like with green markings, later straw-colored.

Ecology

Habitat

Low prairies, along roads, and near creeks and lakes; usually on moist alkaline or saline soils.

Distribution

Principally in the west 3/4 of Kansas.

Reproduction

Reproduces primarily via rhizomes.

Practical Information

Forage Value

Inland saltgrass has only fair forage value.

Uses

The seeds are consumed by small mammals and waterfowl.

Additional Notes