Grass Description
Grasslands, woodlands, sandy hills, sandy areas along rivers and roadsides.
General Description
Tall robust and coarse bunchgrass, 3 to 7 feet tall. Stems have thick bases and tufts of white hairs at the tips of the leaf sheaths.
Tall and robust perennial bunchgrass; wide blades; seedhead contracted, spike-like; sheaths conspicuously hairy on margins and collar; spikelets are pedicellate and laterally compressed, less than 1/8 inch long.
Flower Characteristics
Seedhead is a dense spike up to 2-1/2 feet tall that is usually included in the uppermost sheath. Branches are appressed or spreading and spikelet-bearing to the base. Spikelets have one fertile floret.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blades are 4 to 20 inches long and less than 1/2 inch wide. Leaves are flat, involute or folded and smooth with whitish margins and rough edges.
Early growth provides considerable forage for livestock. However, palatability declines rapidly with maturity.