Bouteloua simplex
Bouteloua rigidiseta
mat grama, Matted grama
Texas grama
3-35 cm, usually decumbent, occasionally erect, rarely branching;
internodes glabrous.
10-50 cm, erect, unbranched.
smooth, deeply striate;
ligules 0.1-0.2 mm, of short hairs, sometimes with a few papillose-based hairs on either side;
blades 2-8 cm long, 0.5-1.5 mm wide, flat to involute, adaxial surfaces mostly glabrous, often pilose basally.
smooth, striate;
ligules 0.2-0.3 mm, membranous, ciliate;
blades 4-12(17) cm long, 1-2 mm wide, abaxial surfaces sparsely short pubescent, bases with papillose-based hairs on the margins, similar hairs also present on both surfaces.
usually with only 1 branch (terminating the culm), or with 2-4 branches and subdigitate;
branches 10-25(40) mm, persistent, straight, arcuate, or circular, with 30-80 spikelets, axes terminating in a reduced spikelet;
disarticulation above the glumes.
3-6 cm, with 6-8 branches;
branches 8-16 mm, hairy, becoming more sparsely so distally, with 2-6 spikelets, axes terminating beyond the base of the terminal spikelets, apices deeply bi- or trifurcate;
disarticulation at the base of the branches.
pectinate, with 1 bisexual floret and 1-2 rudimentary florets.
appressed, all alike, with 1 bisexual and 1-2 rudimentary florets.
glabrous, sometimes scabrous distally, acute or acuminate;
lower glumes 1.5-2.5 mm;
upper glumes 3.5-5 mm;
lowest lemmas 2.5-3.5 mm, pilose over the veins, 3-awned, awns stout and flattened, central awns 1-2 mm, flanked by 2 membranous lobes, lateral awns shorter than the central awns;
lowest paleas obovate, unawned;
rachilla segments subtending second florets with densely pubescent apices;
second florets reduced to an awn column with 3 awns of 5-6 mm;
third florets, if present, flabellate scales.
lanceolate, veins pubescent, apices acuminate;
lower glumes 3-4 mm;
upper glumes about 6 mm, pubescent over the veins, hairs about 0.7 mm, apices bilobed, awned from the sinuses;
lowest lemmas 2.5-4 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent on the veins, 3-awned, awns wide basally, forming 3 triangular lobes, central awns flanked by 2 membranous 0.5-1.5 mm lobes;
lowest paleas 4-5 mm, bilobed, veins often excurrent;
second lemmas glabrous, 3-awned, awns 5-10 mm;
second paleas 2-lobed, unawned;
third lemmas similar to the second lemmas but smaller and without paleas.
(2) 3.5-3.7 mm.
= 20.
= 40.
Bouteloua simplex
Bouteloua rigidiseta
Bouteloua simplex grows on rocky, open slopes in grassy and open shrub vegetation at 1200-2500 m. Its native range extends from the southwestern United States through Mexico and Central America to western South America. It is adventive in Maine, where it has been grows in disturbed places, but it is not common there.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Bouteloua rigidiseta grows in grassy pastures and openings in woods, usually in clay or sandy clay soils, from near sea level to approximately 700 m. It is both widespread and abundant within its range, which extends from the southern United States to northern Mexico, but has little value as a forage grass. It is one of the earliest flowering warm season grasses. Although similar to B. eludens, B. rigidiseta differs in its geographic distribution and glume pubescence, so the two taxa are unlikely to be confused in the field.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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