Grass Description
Dry hills and plains, adapted to a wide range of soils.
General Description
Grows in bunches or clumps, stays green all year.
Tufted, weakly rhizomatous; stems 4 to 11 feet tall, 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, several to many together; usually hairless except for fine hairs at or below nodes; blades tough; seedheads 6 to 17 inches long; 5 to 35 spikelets per node.
Flower Characteristics
Seedhead 6 to 17 inches long, 3/4 to 2-1/2 inches wide, lower nodes with 2 to 6 branches, branches to 1/2 inch, ascending, with 5 to 35 spikelets, upper nodes with pedicellate (stalked) and sessile (unstalked) spikelets.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blades 3/4 to 1 inch wide, 8 to 24 inches long, top surfaces smooth, bottom surfaces rough, veins evident; strongly involute to flat.
Good for cattle, fair for wildlife, abundant forage in early spring.