Species Detail Grasses

Plant - Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Aristida havardii - Havard's threeawn Synonyms: Aristida barbata Plant Form: Grass Family: Poaceae


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Seedheads Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)	Spikelets Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)


	Grass Description - Glossary of Grass Terminology Origin: Native Season: Warm Habitat Description: Rocky ground, dry hills and plains in high desert grassland to pinyon-juniper zones. Plant Communities:Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland Elevation: 4000 - 6000 feet Similar Species: Aristida divaricata General Description Desc: Tufted perennial growing in dense round clumps. Seedhead stems are erect and unbranched. Leaves are mostly basal and smooth with sheaths longer than the internodes. Seedheads are deciduous and fall from the clump when dry. Identification Notes: Stems erect, arising from round clumps. Spikelets usually divergent, stems with a joint-like thickening at the base, lateral awns slightly shorter than central. Lemma apices with 0-2 twists when mature, which distinguishes it from A. divaricata. Grass Type: Perennial bunchgrass Rhizomes: N Stolons: N Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N Bushy (highly branched): N Height with Seedheads: 12 to 24 inches Seedhead Structure: Branched - open and spreading Seedhead Droops: N Flowering Period: Aug - Oct Flower Characteristics Number of Flowers per Spikelet: One-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N Awns: 1/4 inch to 1 inch Three Awns: Y Awns Bent: N Flower and Seedhead Notes: Seedhead is branched, open and spreading with one fertile floret per stem. Each floret bears 3 short awns, with the lateral awns slightly shorter and thinner than the central awn. Each floret breaks away from the dried seedhead when it falls. Vegetative Charcteristics Blade Hairy: N Blade with White Margins: N Blade Cross section: Involute Blade Notes: Leaf blades very narrow and mostly flat with blade margins folded or rolled inward. Leaf sheath is mostly open, loosely clasping the stem. Leaf blade and sheath are smooth. Blade collar and ligule are covered in dense fine hairs. Sheath Hairy: N Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar: Y Ligules: Hairy Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area: N Forage Value: Grass is unpalatable except when very young. Nutritive forage value is poor.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailGrass.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer