Grass Description
Dry to moist or damp soils, on sandy or gravelly soils along streams, disturbed grounds, or in thickets and woods near streams.
General Description
Large bunch grass, often bluish-green with distinctive out-curving awns and thick seedhead spikes.
Perennial grass 24 to 63 inches tall; blades 3/4 inch wide; seedhead nodding, densely flowered, 3 to 8 inches long with awns up to 2 inches long; awns are on the lemmas and curved when dry; spikelets 2 to 4 at each node and mostly 3 to 5-flowered.
Flower Characteristics
Spike nodding, sometimes pendant or erect, usually with 2 spikelets per node. Spikelets have 3 to 5 florets.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blades 1/4 to 3/4 inch wide, usually firm, often ascending and margins somewhat rolled inward, usually dull green, drying to grayish; surfaces facing toward the stem usually smooth or slightly rough and hairless.
Fodder for livestock.