Hairy grama
Bouteloua hirsuta
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Morphology
- Culm
- Erect to somewhat bent below, solid, glabrous, leafy at bases.
- Blades
- Numerous, flat, slender, 1 to 7 inches long, less than 1/10 inch wide, erect or ascending, rough or glabrous; lower margins with hairs arising from tiny bumps.
- Sheath
- Glabrous or finely hairy, bearing long soft hairs near ligule.
- Ligule
- Short fringes of hairs.
- Inflorescence
- Panicles; branches 1 to 4, .5 1.5 inches long, occasionally curved; rachis extending conspicuously beyond spikelets in obvious point.
- Spikelets
- 18-50 per branch, .25 inch long, crowded in 2 rows; florets 1 perfect, 2 sterile; glumes unequal, tipped with blackish awns, second glume hairy; fertile lemma deeply 3-cleft, hairy, 3 short awns, central awn longest.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Prairies or pastures, on dry, shallow, sandy or rocky sites.
- Distribution
- Throughout Kansas
Practical Information
- Forage Value
- Hairy grama is nutritious for livestock and has high palatability late in the growing season.
Additional Notes
Comments
Hairy grama grows in tufts but does not occur in large stands.
Special Notes: Hairy grama can be distinguished from blue grama by the needle-like rachis that projects beyond the spikelet-bearing portion of the branch.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Grass
- Family
- Poaceae - Grass Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 6 to 28 inches
- Last Updated
- 2020-08-09
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: June, July, August