Grass Description
Grows on rocky slopes and plains, generally in pinyon-juniper, oak, or ponderosa pine communities.
General Description
The several stems are attached at the base of the plant and are usually wide spreading.
Awns markedly unequal; the lateral awns are absent or less than 1/2 as long as the central awns. The seedheads are 3 to 12 inches long and 1-1/2 to 10 inches wide and hairy at the base of their branches.
Flower Characteristics
Seedheads long and narrow, consisting of many slender branches.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blades 3 to 12 inches long, 1/8 inch wide, usually flat, often curled at maturity.
Although generally poor forage grasses and, because of the calluses, potentially harmful to grazing animals, they are an important source of spring forage on western range-lands. Quail and small mammals eat small amounts of the seed.