Grass Description
Found in moist meadows, along sandy washes, canyon bottoms, grassy slopes, rocky to sandy slopes and around seeps and hot springs. This grass is a weed of railroad ballast, waste soils, industrial areas, and along expressways.
General Description
M. asperifoliais distinct in being a rhizomotous perennial bunchgrass with open, sparsely-flowered and wispy awnless seedheads. The source of the common name "scratchgrass" becomes evident if you run your hand along the blades.
Perennial 4 to 24 inches tall; diffused seedhead; long slender spreading branches; spikelets awnless, less than 1/8 inch long; scaly rhizomes and occasional stolons; flat blades, somewhat roughened below; stems are erect, branch at the base.
Flower Characteristics
Seedhead is 2 to 8 inches tall and branched. The hair-like primary branches are 1 to 4-3/4 inches long with the lower branches spreading 30 to 90 degrees from the main axis. Spikelets are purplish or grayish.
Vegetative Characteristics
The blades are flat, 3/4 to 2 inches long and less than 1/4 inch wide. Blades are rough, especially on the edges.
Due to the low, creeping characteristics of this plant and coarse texture of the leaves, this grass is of little value as a forage plant for cattle.