Grass Description
Dry slopes to moist canyons, wide range of habitats, pine forests at medium altitudes, prairies to woodlands, savannahs, and scrubland vegetation, infrequent in Arizona. Moderately salt tolerant. Often found in areas of adequate moisture.
General Description
Slender, tall and rhizomatous perennial; erect slender seedhead stems emerge from short, stout and scaly rhizomes; seedhead is often golden.
Tall, robust perennial, stout, scaly rhizomes; leaves long and flat; ligules and collar are hairy; thick, pointed auricles; seedhead yellowish with gray branches; spikelets paired, one sterile and stemmed, one fertile and sessile with twisted bent awns.
Flower Characteristics
Much-branched seedhead that contracts at maturity, yellowish or tawny. Fertile lemma with a twisted, once or twice-bent awn 1/2 to 1 inch long.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blades up to 28 inches long, to 1/4 inch wide, usually smooth, midvein conspicuous on back of leaf.
Excellent, palatable to cattle and horses, does not cure well, only moderately palatable after maturity and fair winter forage.