Origin: Introduced   Season: Cool and Warm Habitat Description: Found in disturbed areas. Plant Communities:Disturbed Areas Elevation: Below 4000 feet
General Description
Desc:
A densely tufted annual or perennial grass with wiry leaves and erect stems. Identification Notes: Bunchgrass up to 4 feet tall; blades arching and 2 feet long with noticeably thickened mid-veins, reddish, narrow, outward rolled or folded; seedhead is spike-like, 1 foot long, pinkish to dark red in color; conspicuously hairy bristles below spikelets. Grass Type: Perennial bunchgrass Rhizomes: N Stolons: N Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): Y Bushy (highly branched): Y Height with Seedheads: Greater than 36 inches Seedhead Structure: Branched - contracted Seedhead Droops: N Flowering Period: Mar - Dec Flower Characteristics
Number of Flowers per Spikelet: Multi-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N Awns: Greater than 1 inch Three Awns: N Awns Bent: N Flower and Seedhead Notes: Seedheads are 3 to 13 inches long, 1-1/2 to 2 inches wide, erect or arching, and pink to dark burgundy in color. Seedhead stem is hairy. Spikelets are purple with whitish hairs on the stalks.
Vegetative Charcteristics
Blade Hairy:
Y
Blade with White Margins:
N
Blade Cross section:
Convolute
Blade Notes:
Blades are 8 to 26 inches long, 1/10th inch wide and rolled up longitudinally or folded, Blades are smooth on top with stiff hairs on the undersides. Midvein is noticeably thickened.
Sheath Hairy:
Y
Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar:
Y
Ligules:
Hairy Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area:
N
Forage Value:
Not available.
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590