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 Spikelets Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) |  Seedhead Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) | | | | |
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Origin: Native Season: Warm
Habitat Description: Sandy or rocky soil, mostly along water courses or in moist canyons.
Plant Communities:Riparian
Elevation: 3500 - 7000 feet
Desc:
Erect clumping grass from hard, scaly rhizomes, to over 6 feet tall. Seedhead is an open, branched arrangement of spikelets.
Identification Notes: Rhizomatous perennial. Seedhead stems rarely branching above the base; spikelets more than 1/8 inch long and rounded; first glume more than half as long as the spikelet.
Grass Type: Perennial bunchgrass Rhizomes: Y Stolons: N
Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): Y Bushy (highly branched): Y
Height with Seedheads: Greater than 36 inches
Seedhead Structure: Branched - open and spreading Seedhead Droops: N
Flowering Period: Jun - Sep
Number of Flowers per Spikelet: Multi-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N
Awns: Absent Three Awns: N Awns Bent: N
Flower and Seedhead Notes: The seedhead is open, freely branched, pyramidal, 8 to 16 inches long. Spikelet is slightly laterally compressed, lower floret sterile, upper fertile.
Blade Hairy:
Y
Blade with White Margins:
N
Blade Cross section:
Flat
Blade Notes:
Blades firm, upright, spreading or ascending, to about 1-1/2 feet long, to 3/4 inch wide, linear with a rounded to slightly tapering base, flat, parallel-veined, sometimes hairy, marginally rough.
Sheath Hairy:
Y
Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar:
Y
Ligules:
Membranous and hairy
Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area:
N
Forage Value:
Switchgrass is noted for its heavy growth during late spring and early summer. It provides good warm-season pasture and high quality hay for livestock.
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