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 Herbarium specimen Utah State University, Intermountain Herbarium @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Public Domain (CC0 1.0) |  Spikelets Usage Rights: CC BY-NC (Attribution-Non-Commercial) | | | | |
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Origin: Native Season: Cool and Warm
Habitat Description: Dry hills and plains, adapted to a wide range of soils.
Plant Communities:Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands
Elevation: Below 5000 feet
Desc:
Grows in bunches or clumps, stays green all year.
Identification Notes: Tufted, weakly rhizomatous; stems 4 to 11 feet tall, 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, several to many together; usually hairless except for fine hairs at or below nodes; blades tough; seedheads 6 to 17 inches long; 5 to 35 spikelets per node.
Grass Type: Perennial bunchgrass Rhizomes: Y Stolons: N
Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N Bushy (highly branched): N
Height with Seedheads: Greater than 36 inches
Seedhead Structure: Branched - contracted Seedhead Droops: N
Flowering Period: May - Oct
Number of Flowers per Spikelet: Multi-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N
Awns: Less than 1/4 inch Three Awns: N Awns Bent: N
Flower and Seedhead Notes: Seedhead 6 to 17 inches long, 3/4 to 2-1/2 inches wide, lower nodes with 2 to 6 branches, branches to 1/2 inch, ascending, with 5 to 35 spikelets, upper nodes with pedicellate (stalked) and sessile (unstalked) spikelets.
Blade Hairy:
N
Blade with White Margins:
N
Blade Cross section:
Flat or involute
Blade Notes:
Blades 3/4 to 1 inch wide, 8 to 24 inches long, top surfaces smooth, bottom surfaces rough, veins evident; strongly involute to flat.
Sheath Hairy:
Y
Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar:
N
Ligules:
Membranous
Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area:
Y
Forage Value:
Good for cattle, fair for wildlife, abundant forage in early spring.
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