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Grass Gallery
Poaceae, Panicoideae, Andropogoneae - Beardgrass (Bluestem)
(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)
tribe Andropogoneae
Bushy Bluestem (Bushy Broom Grass) Andropogon glomeratus
Grows only in moist soils.
Photos taken in Coleman County, Texas, September 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Brown)
Base: Perennial, clump grass, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 2.5-6mm wide, often folded
Sheath: glabrous, lower ones overlap, compressed laterally and keeled dorsally
Culm (main grain stem): erect, 75-150cm tall, branching
Inflorescence: broom-like
tribe Andropogoneae
Cane Bluestem (Plumed Beard Grass) Bothriochloa barbinodis
This species is often planted as an ornamental. It is drought tolerant, and cold tolerant.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, November 2005, July 2007
(Native of Texas - Brown)
Base: Perennial, clump grass, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): on culm only 25-30cm long but higher are shorter, 2-7mm wide, glabrous with a few hairs at ligule
Sheath: glabrous with torn-like ligule
Culm (main grain stem): abruptly bent, becoming decumbent and branched, 60-120cm tall, nodes bearded
Inflorescence: panicle 7-13(20)cm long, some never extend out of the sheath, many primary branches, silvery white
Rachis (panicle axis): 5-10cm long
Branch: 4-9cm long, erect and somewhat spreading, lower ones rebranching
Spikelet: 4.5-7.3mm long
Lemma Awn: 20-30mm long, bent and twisted
tribe Andropogoneae
Silver Bluestem (Silver Beardgrass) Bothriochloa laguroides ssp. torreyana (Andropogon saccharoides var. torreyanus)
Similar to B. barbinodis but the branches are appressed and not as long.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July 2004, July-August 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Jones, Brown)
Base: Perennial, clump grass, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): mostly basal, waxy, 5-25cm long, 2-7mm wide, glabrous, flat to folded
Culm (main grain stem): abruptly bent then erect, branched at maturity, 50-80cm tall, nodes bearded, red tint
Inflorescence: dense panicle 4-12cm long, more than 10 branches, silvery white to light tan
Rachis (panicle axis): 4-8cm long and under 2mm thick
Branch: 1-5.5cm long, erect and appressed, not rebranching, very hairy 3-9mm long
Spikelet: 2.5-4.5mm long
Awn: 8-18mm long, bent and twisted
tribe Andropogoneae
Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium
About 5 feet tall. Red culms, many nodes. Fair cow forage.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July 2004, September 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Fisher, Shackelford, Callahan, Eastland, Brown)
Base: Perennial, clump grass, sometimes rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 25cm long, 1.5-4mm wide, glabrous, flat
Sheath: keeled and laterally flattened, shorter than internodes, green
Culm (main grain stem): very erect, 50-200cm tall, freely branching above to produce fruiting branches, red
Inflorescence: erect branching branches up to 5cm long, spikelets on the upper portion only
Spikelet: very narrow, appressed then spreading as they dry, hairy
Beardgrass **zg 2** Bothriochloa sp.
Similar to B. barbinodis but only 3 branches. Leaves wide at base.
(Native of ?)
Similar Species In My Area
Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii
Red stem. Blue-green leaves turn bronze in fall. Inflorescence has three branches. Purple nodes and internodes. Hairy at leaf collar and lower leaf sheath very hairy. It grows big (4-8 feet tall x 4-5 feet wide) and is loved by cattle. It will grow on any soil and even in shade. This was the dominant grass of the old North American prairie.
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Brown)
Edwards Plateau Beardgrass (Merrill Bluestem) Bothriochloa edwardsiana (Andropogon edwardsianus)
Similar to B. barbinodis but the branches start at nearly the same point on the stem.
(Native of Texas - south of my area)
see similar Feathertop Windmillgrass
Base: Perennial, clump grass, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): mostly basal 10-25cm long, 1-2mm wide, waxy, flat to rolled hairy fringe on lower half,
Culm (main grain stem): erect, slender, 35-65cm tall, upper nodes glabrous lower nodes dense short hairs
Inflorescence: panicle, 3-6 branches
Rachis (panicle axis): less than 1.8cm long, with three nodes
Branch: 6-10cm long, erect and somewhat spreading, no rebranching
Spikelet: 5-8mm long, spear shaped
First Glume: very shinny, deep glandular pit near apex
Lemma Awn: 20-28mm long, bent
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