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Springfield bluestem, Springfield's beardgrass

hybrid beardgrass, hybrid bluestem

Culms

30-80 cm, erect, unbranched;

nodes prominently bearded, hairs 3-7 mm, spreading, silvery-white.

30-80 cm, stiffly erect, moderately branched above the base;

nodes glabrous or puberulent.

Leaves

mostly basal;

ligules 1-2.5 mm;

blades 5-30 cm long, 2-3(5) mm wide, flat to folded, glabrous or sparsely hispid adaxially, pilose near the throat.

primarily cauline;

sheaths glabrous, green, sometimes glaucous;

ligules 1-2 mm;

blades 5-25 cm long, 2-5 mm wide, flat to folded, usually ciliate, with long hairs near the base and some hairs on the adaxial surface.

Panicles

4-9 cm, oblong to fan-shaped;

rachises 1-5 cm, with 2-9 branches;

branches 4-8 cm, longer than the rachises, with 1(2) rames;

rame internodes with a membranous groove wider than the margins, margins densely white-villous, hairs 5-10 mm, obscuring the sessile spikelets.

5-12 cm, lanceolate;

rachises usually shorter than 5 cm;

branches 3-8, without axillary pulvini, lower branches longer than the rachises; at least the lower branches rebranched and with multiple rames;

rame internodes with 5-7 mm marginal hairs.

Sessile

spikelets 5.5-8.5 mm, lanceolate;

lower glumes densely short-pilose on the lower M, sometimes with a dorsal pit;

awns 18-26 mm;

anthers 1-1.5 mm.

spikelets 4.5-6.5 mm, narrowly ovate;

lower glumes 4.5-5.7(6.5) mm, sparsely hairy near the base, with a dorsal pit above the middle;

awns 18-25 mm;

anthers 0.5-1 mm.

Pedicellate

spikelets 3.5-5.5 mm, sterile.

spikelets 2.2-3.6 mm, sterile.

2n

= 120.

= 120.

Bothriochloa springfieldii

Bothriochloa hybrida

Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; LA; NM; TX; UT
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
GA; LA; TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Bothriochloa springfieldii grows in rocky uplands, ravines, plains, sandy areas, and roadsides, from southern Utah to western Texas and Mexico at 900-2500 m. and, as a disjunct in northwest Louisiana. It differs from B. barbinodis in its less robust habit, narrower blades, longer nodal hairs, and fewer, more hairy panicle branches, and from B. edwardsiana in its pubescent nodes and wider, non-ciliate leaf blades.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Bothriochloa hybrida grows in open grasslands, rangeland pastures, disturbed ground, and roadsides, often on calcareous soil, usually at 50-500 m. Its range extends from southern Texas and Louisiana to central Mexico. It resembles B. edwardsiana in some respects, but the latter species has a less robust habit, more predominantly basal foliage, and narrower leaf blades.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 25, p. 644. FNA vol. 25, p. 644.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Andropogoneae > Bothriochloa Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Andropogoneae > Bothriochloa
Sibling taxa
B. alta, B. barbinodis, B. bladhii, B. edwardsiana, B. exaristata, B. hybrida, B. ischaemum, B. laguroides, B. longipaniculata, B. pertusa, B. wrightii
B. alta, B. barbinodis, B. bladhii, B. edwardsiana, B. exaristata, B. ischaemum, B. laguroides, B. longipaniculata, B. pertusa, B. springfieldii, B. wrightii
Synonyms Andropogon springfieldii
Name authority (Gould) Parodi (Gould) Gould
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