Grass Description
Sandy or rocky soils, disturbed sites and open woodlands. Prefers drained, sandy or gravelly soils and also shallow or deep sand loam, fine sandy loam, or even shallow and deep clays.
General Description
Perennial bunchgrass producing erect, unbranched stems to about 3 feet in maximum height. The narrow inflorescence is up to 11 inches long in taller plants, with the mature spikelet bearing a spiraling, hairy, spear-shaped awn.
Tufted perennial; narrow blades; terminal awn segments are not plumose, basal portion may have short hairs; panicle branches are spreading; spikelets are 1-flowered; awns 4 to 7 inches long, twice bent. H. neomexicana awns are plumose terminally.
Flower Characteristics
Contracted and narrow seedhead is a mass of curly awns. The base of the seedhead is usually partially hidden in the sheath. Awns are 2 to 10 inches long.
Vegetative Characteristics
About 1/16 inch wide and tightly involute, usually long, threadlike and smooth.
This grass is moderately palatable to wildlife and domestic stock. The plant provides highly palatable early spring forage but the summer fruit has a sharp awn that may injure grazing animals. This grass is often used to revegetate disturbed sites.