Grass Description
Coarse rocky soils with little or no profile development such as alluvial fans, dry rocky hills and talus slopes.
General Description
A short perennial bunchgrass reaching a height of 1 to 2 feet. Leaf blades are thin and rolled along the edges. The inflorescence is up to 2 inches long and is dense and fluffy. Each spikelet is very hairy and has a bent awn coated in long hairs.
A robust plant with firm glumes, hairy collars and 1 inch once bent awns that have a straight terminal segment. The seedhead is branched but narrow as branching is appressed.
Flower Characteristics
Each spikelet is very hairy and has a bent awn which is coated in long hairs. The inflorescence is compact, 4 to 6 inches long and generally partly enclosed by the uppermost leaf sheath.
Vegetative Characteristics
Leaves mostly basal and below the middle of stems with leaves sheathing at bases. Leaf blades very narrow with rolled margins and more or less hairy.
Desert needlegrass is palatable to all classes of livestock and wildlife such as desert bighorn sheep and feral burros when young. After it matures it is moderately grazed by horses and cattle, but is often avoided by other livestock such as sheep.