Grass Description
Rocky ground, dry hills and plains in high desert grassland to pinyon-juniper zones.
General Description
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.
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.
Flower Characteristics
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 Characteristics
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.
Grass is unpalatable except when very young. Nutritive forage value is poor.