Grass Description
Thrives best in open grasslands on dry, gravelly or sandy soils. Grows in dry plains, foothills, and open forested slopes, often in shrubby habitats, and also in waste ground.
General Description
Sprawling, wiry, thin, weak stems covered with fine hairs. Stems are bent and spreading, lower internodes are densely hairy. Seedheads have 4 to 5 comb-like branches. Stoloniferous and often rhizomatous. Frequently grows in almost pure stands.
Tufted perennial with hard crown, wiry stolons, hairy-felty, trailing, mostly basal stems. Leaves small, sheaths shorter than internodes, one to many short, 1-sided spikes. Lemma bearded at base tapering to a terminal awn <3 mm and 2 smaller lateral awns.
Flower Characteristics
Seedheads 3/4 to 6 inches long, with 3 to 8 primary branches. Fertile lemma is bearded at base, tapering to a stout terminal awn <1/8 inch long and reduced lateral awns. Sterile floret is reduced to a lemma with 3 long awns <1/2 inch long.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blades 3/4 to 3 inches long and <1/8 inch wide, flat or involute and twisted at the tips. Upper leaf surfaces are hairy.
Black grama is considered excellent forage for all livestock classes and wildlife.