Origin: Native   Season: Warm Habitat Description: Open to wooded rocky slopes, ponderosa pine forests, mountain meadows, occasionally in oak or juniper woodlands. Plant Communities:Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland, Montane Conifer Forest Elevation: 5000 - 9000 feet
Similar Species: Piptochaetium fimbriatumGeneral Description
Desc:
Tall, slender, erect, somewhat zigzagged stems growing in dense tufts. Identification Notes: Florets 1/4 to 1 inch long; culms 16 to 51 inches tall; lemmas hairy; awns 3/4 to 2-1/2 inches long. Differs from P. fimbriatum, in having longer florets and sharper calluses. Grass Type: Perennial bunchgrass Rhizomes: N Stolons: N Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N Bushy (highly branched): N Height with Seedheads: 24 to 36 inches Seedhead Structure: Branched - open and spreading Seedhead Droops: N Flowering Period: Jun - Oct Flower Characteristics
Number of Flowers per Spikelet: One-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N Awns: 1/4 inch to 1 inch Three Awns: N Awns Bent: Y Flower and Seedhead Notes: Spikelets are arranged in open panicles at the top half of the stem. The glumes (bracts at the base of the floret) totally enclose the floret. There is separation at maturity at the joint above the glumes.
Vegetative Charcteristics
Blade Hairy:
N
Blade with White Margins:
N
Blade Cross section:
Flat
Blade Notes:
Blades are flat to rolled, 4 to 12 inches long, 1/8 inch or less wide, with 5 distinct veins running the length of the blade.
Sheath Hairy:
N
Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar:
N
Ligules:
Membranous Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area:
N
Forage Value:
Information not available.
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590