Bouteloua hirsuta

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Bouteloua hirsuta
Bouteloua hirsuta (Poaceae), grama peluda.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus: Bouteloua
Species:
B. hirsuta
Binomial name
Bouteloua hirsuta
Lag.

Bouteloua hirsuta, commonly known as hairy grama, is a perennial short prairie grass that is native throughout much of North America, including the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies region, as well as Mexico and Guatemala.

Contents

Description

B. hirsuta is a warm-season grass growing 10–20 in (0.2-0.5 m tall, and grows well on mountainous plateaus, rocky slopes, and sandy plains. The leaf blade is flat or slightly rolled, narrow, mostly basal, with hairy margins. The leaf sheath is rounded, smooth, and shorter than internodes. The seedhead is one to four spikes, purplish before maturity, about 1 in (2.5 cm) long; the rachis extends beyond spikelets. It is used primarily for grazing. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Hairy grama prefers rocky slopes, as well as dry yet sandy areas between 4,000–6,500 ft (1,200–2,000 m). [2]

References

  1. NRCS. "Bouteloua hirsuta". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
  2. Gould, Frank W. (1951). Grasses of Southwestern United States. Tucson: University of Arizona. pp. 147–148.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)