Bouteloua hirsuta | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Poaceae |
Genus: | Bouteloua |
Species: | B. hirsuta |
Binomial name | |
Bouteloua hirsuta Lag. |
Bouteloua hirsuta, commonly known as hairy grama, is a perennial short prairie grass that is native throughout much of North America, including the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies region, as well as Mexico and Guatemala.
Bouteloua hirsuta is a warm-season grass growing 10-20 inches tall, and grows well on mountainous plateaus, rocky slopes, and sandy plains. The leaf blade is flat or slightly rolled; narrow; mostly basal; margins hairy. The leaf sheath is rounded, smooth, and shorter than internodes. The seedhead is 1 to 4 spikes, purplish before maturity, about 1 inch long; rachis extends beyond spikelets. It is used primarily for grazing.