Welcome to Catnapin's
Grass Gallery
Poaceae, Chloridoideae, Cynodonteae - Grama Grass
(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)
tribe Cynodonteae
Sideoats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula var. curtipendula
This is probably one of the easiest grasses to identify.
Photo taken in Taylor County, Texas, August-October 2004, September 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Jones, Coleman, Brown)
Base: perennial, creeping rhizomes
Blade (leaf): 3-7mm wide
Culm (main grain stem): single or small clusters along rhizomes, erect to reclined
Inflorescence: 40-70 opposite branches each with 3-7 spikelets
tribe Cynodonteae (Rhododendreae)
Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides (Buchloe dactyloides)
Grass about 5" tall. Male or female plants. Male flower, yellow to orange, tightly clustered on 1/2" long branches, on a 6" tall culm. Female flowers are in 1/4" tall clusters, below grass line. Cluster of seeds is bur-like. Drought, heat, cold, and fire tolerant. This short grass forms thick mats that are good for erosion control. Good forage for cattle and wildlife.
Male flower photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2004, July 2007
Female flower and seed photos taken in Floyd County, Texas, August 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Jones, Callahan, Coleman, Brown)
see similar Curly Mequite
Base: perennial bunchgrass with rhizomes and long wiry stolons
Blade (leaf): 1-2.5mm wide, 2-12 (-20)cm long
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): glabrous
Male Inflorescence: slender erect culm, 8-25cm tall (above leaves) with 1-4 heads, 6-14mm long
Male Spikelet: 6-12 close spaced on each branch, face the same way, 4-5.5 mm long, 2 flowers, orange-red anthers, 2.5-3.5mm long
Female Inflorescence: 3-5 (-7) bur-like hairy clusters, single flowers, partially enclosed in the leaf sheath
Glume: first is reduced, second broad and hard with 3 pointed lobes
Lemma: 3 nerved ending in awns
tribe Cynodonteae
Blue Grama Bouteloua gracilis
Similar to Hairy Grama but not as hairy and the spikelets grow to the end of the branch.
Photo taken in Floyd County, Texas, August 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor)
Base: perennial bunchgrass with short rhizomes
Blade (leaf): 1-2.5mm wide, mostly basal with a few up the culm
Culm (main grain stem): erect or bent at base, up to 60cm tall but usually shorter, nodes
Inflorescence: 1-3 wide spaced opposite branches up to 5cm long, dense spikelets hanging down, one spikelet at end of branch
tribe Cynodonteae
Hairy Grama Bouteloua hirsuta var. hirsuta
Photo taken in Taylor County, Texas, August-September 2004
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Shackelford, Eastland, Brown)
Base: short lived perennial bunchgrass, no rhizomes
Blade (leaf): 1-2mm wide, mostly basal with a few up the culm
Culm (main grain stem): mostly erect, 15-40cm tall, 4-6 hairless nodes branching at the last node
Inflorescence: 1-4 wide spaced opposite branches 2.5-4cm long, dense spikelets hanging down, end of branch is longer than spikelets.
tribe Cynodonteae
Tall Grama (Eyebrow Grass) Bouteloua hirsuta var. pectinata (Bouteloua pectinata)
Like Hairy Grama the end of the inflorescence branch is naked. Plant is much taller and inflorescence much longer.
Photo taken in Taylor County, Texas, September 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor)
tribe Cynodonteae
Texas Grama (Mesquitegrass) Bouteloua rigidiseta
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July 2004, September 2005, June 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Callahan, Shackelford, Coleman, Brown)
see similar Threeawn
Base: perennial, small bunchgrass, no rhizomes
Blade (leaf): 1-2mm wide, 4-12cm long, basal
Culm (main grain stem): weakly erect, 15-40cm tall
Inflorescence: several opposite branches with clumped spikelets, 2-5 wedge-shaped spikelets with awns.
tribe Cynodonteae
Red Grama (Threeawn Grama) Bouteloua trifida
Tiny red inflorescence is held erect. As it dries, the awns open.
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Runnels, Coke, Brown)
Base: perennial, small bunchgrass, some rhizomes
Blade (leaf): less than 1.5mm wide, 4-8cm long, basal and a few shorter ones on culm
Culm (main grain stem): wiry, erect, 10-30cm tall
Inflorescence: 3-9cm long, 2-7 wide spaced opposite branches 12-25mm long including 3 awns, 8-24 red spikelets
Other Species In My Area
Sixweeks Grama Bouteloua barbata
Like Blue Grama. Branches curl backward as they dry.
(Native of Texas - Nolan, Fisher)
Clump Sideoats Bouteloua curtipendula var. caespitosa
Like Sideoats Grama except no rhizomes, narrow leaf, culms stiffer, can have much fewer branches.
(Native of Texas - Runnels)
Base: perennial bunchgrass, no creeping rhizomes
Blade (leaf): narrow, thick stiff
Culm (main grain stem): in clumps, stiffly erect
Inflorescence: few to numerous opposite branches each with 3-7 spikelets
Black Grama (Woollyfoot Grama) Bouteloua eriopoda
Like Blue Grama but more reclined and root at woolly nodes, heads are straighter. Loosely spaced spikelets. Nodes are green, lower internodes woolly. Most of the flowers are sterile. Narrow leaves mostly basal, 1"-5" long, wavy, inrolled. Reproduces by rhizomes, roots reach 10"-4 feet deep.
(Native of Texas - Tom Green)
One-flowered Grama Bouteloua uniflora
Like Sideoats Grama except no rhizomes, narrow leaf, culms stiffer, fewer spikelet per branch branch.
(Native of Texas - Tom Green)
Base: perennial, no creeping rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 1-2mm wide
Culm (main grain stem): stiffly erect
Inflorescence: numerous opposite 5mm long branches each with 1-2 spikelets at the base
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