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Poaceae, Aristidoideae, Aristideae - Threeawn
(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)
Some references still have this tribe under the Subfamily Arundinoideae.
tribe Aristideae
Purple Threeawn Aristida purpurea var. purpurea
Upright bunch grass with drooping tuft of silky purple seed heads (panicles). Thread-like grass about 12-28" tall. Leaves very narrow, up to 7" long. Each fruit has three long hairs (awns) that spread apart at maturity. Not a good forage for cows or wildlife.
Will crossbreed with A. longiseta and A. roemeriana.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2004, April 2005, June 2007
(Native of Texas - but not of my area)
Base: perennial, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 3-18cm long, 0.7-2mm wide, basal plus longer on culm
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): tufts of hair on sides of collars
Culm (main grain stem): drooping, 25-70cm tall
Inflorescence: 10-25cm long, many thin drooping branches
Spikelet: on long pedicels
Glume: second is twice the length of first
Lemma: 10-12mm long to base of awns, twisted above
Awns: Three, 3.5-4.5cm long occasionally up to 6cm long, soft when young, stiff and spreading when dry
Variation
tribe Aristideae
Red Threeawn (Dogtown Grass) Aristida purpurea var. longiseta (Aristida longiseta)
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July 2007
(Native of Texas - but not of my area)
Base: perennial, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 8-15cm long, less than 2mm wide, basal plus longer on culm
Culm (main grain stem): drooping, 10-35 (-50)cm tall
Inflorescence: few thin drooping to erect branches
Spikelet: on long or short pedicels
Glume: first is 1/2-2/3 of second, the second 16-25mm long
Lemma: 13-15mm long to base of awns, straight or slightly twisted above
Awns: Three, 4-10cm long, stout when short, soft when young, stiff and spreading when dry
Variation
Wright Threeawn Aristida purpurea var. wrightii (Aristida wrightii)
Looks like A. purpurea var. fendleriana but does not have basal blade cluster.
13”-30” tall, three awns 5/8”-1 1/8” long, poor forage value for wildlife and fair to poor grazing quality for livestock.
(Native of Texas - but not of my area)
Base: perennial, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 10-25cm long, 1-2mm wide, high on culms no basal cluster
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): tufts of hair on sides and back of collars
Culm (main grain stem): erect, 35-80cm tall, course
Inflorescence: 12-27cm long, very short branches occasionally with a very long stiff lower branch
Spikelet: appressed, on short pedicels, bunched
Glume: broad, first is 1/2-3/4 second, the second 11-15mm long
Lemma: stout, longer than second glume, 5-7mm long to base of awns, equal or slightly longer then second glume
Awns: Three on thick column, 15-30(-40)mm long
Variation
Blue Threeawn (Nealley Threeawn) Aristida purpurea var. nealleyi (Aristida glauca, Aristada nealleyi)
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Runnels, Coke, Brown)
Base: perennial, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 0.7-1.5mm wide, basal and on culms
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): tufts of hair on sides of collars
Culm (main grain stem): erect, 15-50cm tall
Inflorescence: 6-18cm long, slender appressed branches
Spikelet: appressed, on short pedicels
Glume: first is 1/2-2/3 second, the second 7-12mm long
Lemma: longer than second glume, 5-7mm long to base of awns
Awns: Three on 1-3mm column, 15-20cm long
Other Species In My Area
Oldfield Threeawn (Prairie Threeawn) Aristida oligantha
Long culm with short perpendicular spikelets, two awns twist together, culm zigzags
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Callahan, Eastland, Brown)
Base: annual, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 10-25cm long, less than 2mm wide, basal plus shorter on culm
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): mostly glabrous
Culm (main grain stem): erect, branching, 15-80cm tall
Inflorescence: 5-14cm long, purple-ish, a few widespread branches
Spikelet: on very short pedicels
Glume: nearly equal length, 18-25mm long, second has an awn 1cm or more long extending past Lemma
Lemma: 6-28mm long to base of awns
Awns: Three, 3-7cm long, stiff and spreading when dry
Arrowfeather Threeawn Aristida purpurascens
(Native of Texas - but not of my area)
Base: perennial bunchgrass, rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 15-30cm or more long, 1-2.5mm wide
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): mostly glabrous
Culm (main grain stem): erect, 2mm diameter, 35-80cm tall
Inflorescence: 15-35cm long, appears congested on stem
Spikelet: on short pedicels
Glume: first is scabrous 7-12mm long, second shorter
Lemma: purple, 5-7mm long to base of awns
Awns: Three, 5-28cm long, do not twist or spread to horizontal when dry
Sixweeks Threeawn Aristida adscensionis
(Native of Texas - but not of my area)
Base: annual, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): short, 1-2.5mm wide
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): glabrous, much shorter then internodes
Culm (main grain stem): erect and un-branched or reclined with branches that have abrupt bends at nodes, 15-50(10-80)cm tall
Inflorescence: compressed, 6-15(-20)cm long
Spikelet: clustered on widespread very short branches
Glume: first 4-8mm long, second 7-11mm long
Lemma: 6-9mm long to base of awns
Awns: Three, 7-15(-20)cm long with two shorter, stiff and spreading when dry but not horizontal, flattened at base
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