Grass Description
Open dry sandy soils of grasslands, prairies, river bottoms and woodlands. Also found on rocky limestone slopes and in disturbed areas.
General Description
Clumping grass with silky flower puffs on vertical stems. Foliage of this plant is 12 to 18 inches high and the erect flower spike grows 2 to 3 feet above the foliage. As fall progresses, the leaves change in color to red, purple or burnt orange.
Seedheads are up to 5 inches long; spikelets are rounded and awned, stemmed or sessile, sessile ones are subtended by silvery-white or light tan hairs that obscure the spikelets; leaves are often clustered at the base of the plant.
Flower Characteristics
Seedheads are borne on ascending, usually straight branches and have a silvery white coloration. Spikelets have 2 florets; only one is bisexual and fertile. Awns are spirally twisted and bent near the base.
Vegetative Characteristics
Leaf blades flat or sometimes folded, the midvein thickened, and smooth or sparsely hairy at the base. Leaf sheath is smooth, mostly open and loose. Leaf blades are covered with a waxy bluish-green or gray coating and sometimes also have white glands.
Fair forage value for livestock and wildlife. It is usually only grazed in its early growth stage.