Grass Description
Grassy flats, dry valleys and open mesas. Most abundant in overgrazed areas.
General Description
A wiry low growing, light green grass of stiff, short blades, which forms dense colonies connected by creeping stems. Slender contracted seedheads having 2 to 4 inch awns.
Densely tufted perennial, wiry stolons. Leaves mostly basal, flat or folded. Sheath has noticeable veins. Ligule short, hairy. Seedheads numerous, spikelets of 5 to 10 florets, glumes exceed first floret. Lemmas have twisted awns up to 4 inches long.
Flower Characteristics
Slender few seeded seedheads of long-awned female spikelets and awnless male spikelets mostly on separate plants. Male spikelets 5 to 10 flowered, female spikelets 3 to 5 flowered. Female lemma end in 3 twisted awns 2 to 4 inches long.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blades flat or folded, 3/4 to 3 inches long, thin and crowded at the base, stiff. Leaves are often hairy near the collar.
Little forage value partly due to long wiry awns and partly due to harsh, stiff leaves.