Indian grass

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Indian grass spikelets

Indian grass in winter

Indian grass in late fall

Indian grass

Indian grass flowering

Indian grass inflorescence in winter

Indian grass

Indian grass inflorescence in winter

Indian grass flowering

Indian grass auricles

Indian grass flowering

Indian grass

Indian grass

Morphology

Culm

Erect, hollow, nodes pubescent.

Blades

Flat, 2 to 24 inches long, to 1/2 inch wide, rough, often waxy, midrib prominent near base; tips pointed.

Sheath

Open, mostly glabrous; auricles prominent, pointed.

Ligule

Membranous, stiff.

Inflorescence

Panicles, dense, plume-like, 6 to 12 inches long, initially open, later contracted, bronze-yellow, fading grayish; tips often nodding; branches grayish-hairy.

Spikelets

Paired, shiny, yellowish to chestnut, densely hairy, eventually drooping; sessile spikelets perfect, lanceolate, 1/4 to 1/3 inch long; second spikelets absent, represented by hairy stalks; awns 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, bent and twisted.

Ecology

Habitat

Open prairies, bottomlands, and open woods, more abundant in deep, moist soils, but can also occur on dry slopes.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas.

Reproduction

None

Practical Information

Toxicity

None

Forage Value

Indian grass is very nutritious and is readily grazed by livestock, but it is only moderately palatable when mature. It decreases when grazed heavily. Birds and small mammals consume the seeds.

Uses

None

Additional Notes