Grass Species Detail Page

Plant - summer

Chino Valley - N Reed Rd
Sue Smith

Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants

Bouteloua eriopoda - black grama

Synonyms: Chondrosum eriopodum

Plant Form:Grass

Family: Poaceae


Home	Plant Communities	Plant List	Search Forbs	Search Grasses	Search Woody Plants	Additional Resources	About this Website

Click on Any Image for a Larger View
Plant - summer Chino Valley - N Reed Rd Sue Smith	Seedhead - mature Chino Valley - N Reed Rd John Kava	Grazed with seedhead stems Chino Valley - N Reed Rd John Kava	Spikelet Chino Valley - N Reed Rd Sue Smith	Seedhead Chino Valley - N Reed Rd Sue Smith	Hairy internode Chino Valley - N Reed Rd Sue Smith

Grass Description - Glossary of Grass Terminology

Origin: Native Season: Warm
Habitat Description: Dry sandy plateaus and rocky slopes.
Plant Communities: Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland
Elevation: 3500 - 6000 feet

Similar Species: Bouteloua gracilis, B. hirsuta

General Description

Desc: Plants sprawling. Wiry, wooly, bent and spreading stems. Stems are thin and weak. Wooly internodes (hairy). Starts growth when moisture becomes available in July, sometimes stoloniferous. Frequently grows in almost pure stands.
Grass Type: Perennial bunchgrass  Rhizomes: N  Stolons: Y
Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N  Bushy (highly branched): N
Height with Seedheads: 12 to 24 inches
Seedhead Structure: Branched - comblike branches  Seedhead Droops: N
Flowering Period: Jul - Oct

Flower Characteristics

Number of Flowers per Spikelet: One-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N
Awns: Less than 1/4 inch Three Awns: Y Awns Bent: N

Flower and Seedhead Notes: Panicles 3/4 to 6 inches long, with 3 to 8 primary branches, slender, delicate.

Vegetative Characteristics

Blade Hairy: Y Blade with White Margin: N Blade Cross Section: Flat or involute
Blade Notes: Blades 3/4 to 3 inches long, < 1/8 inch wide twisted at the tips. Hairy above, narrow and wavy.
Sheath Hairy: N Tuft of Hairs Top of Sheath or Collar: Y Ligules: Hairy
Auricles (Ear-like lobes at base of blades): N
Vegetative Notes: Sheaths mostly smooth without hairs or sparsely soft-hairy, usually soft-hairy near the ligules. Ligules < 1/16 inch, of hairs.

Forage Value: Excellent.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 7.0 http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailGrass.php Last Updated: May 10, 2017 Content Questions/Comments: Email Jeff Schalau Legal Disclaimer