Sand lovegrass

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Sand lovegrass

Sand lovegrass collar

Sand lovegrass spikelets

Sand lovegrass

Sand lovegrass

Sand lovegrass

Sand lovegrass

Sand lovegrass

Sand lovegrass inflorescence

Morphology

Culm

Erect, simple, glabrous.

Blades

Mostly flat, slender, 6 to 20 inches long, to 1/3 inch wide, yellowish green, rough above, midrib prominent; tips tapered to points.

Sheath

Overlapping, glabrous, collar with tufts of hairs.

Ligule

Inconspicuous rings of short hairs.

Inflorescence

Panicles, open, much-branched, 14 to 22 inches long, 3 to 12 inches wide, often about 1/2 height of plant, purplish or reddish; branches slender, erect or ascending; branch axils sparsely hairy.

Spikelets

Numerous, long-stalked, 3-13-flowered, less than 1/2 inch long, to 1/6 inch wide, pale purplish; awns absent; glumes and lemmas sharp pointed.

Ecology

Habitat

Prairies, open woods, and disturbed areas, in sandy soils.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas.

Practical Information

Forage Value

Sand lovegrass provides excellent forage for livestock. It is sometimes called "ice cream grass" due to its high palatability.

Additional Notes