Schizachyrium cirratum

(Hack.) Wooton & Standi.
Common names: Texas schizachyrium Texas beardgrass
Synonyms: Andropogon cirratus
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 674.

Plants cespitose or shortly rhizomatous. Culms 31-75 cm, often decumbent, not rooting or branching at the lower nodes, glabrous, glaucous, sometimes purplish. Ligules 1-2.5 mm; blades 6-17 cm long, 2-4 mm wide, glabrous, without a longitudinal stripe of white, spongy tissue. Rames 4-6 cm, usually exerted, straight, often somewhat stiff, not flexuous, appearing linear; internodes straight, with a tuft of hairs near the base, elsewhere glabrous or ciliate on the margins. Sessile spikelets 8-10 mm; calluses 0.3-0.6 mm, hairs 0.5-1.2 mm; glumes glabrous or scabrous; awns 13-24 mm. Pedicels 3.5-5 mm long, 0.2-0.5 mm wide at the base, widening to 0.5-1 mm, straight, with a tuft of hairs at the base, distal 1/2 usually ciliate on 1 side, sometimes on both sides. Pedicellate spikelets 6-8 mm, about as long as the sessile spikelets, usually staminate, sometimes sterile, unawned. 2n = 20 (for var. cirratum).

Distribution

Ariz., N.Mex., Calif., Tex.

Discussion

Schizachyrium cirratum grows on rocky slopes, mostly at elevations of 5000 feet or higher, from southern California to western Texas into Mexico, and is known from South America. It is an excellent forage grass. Plants in the Flora region differ from those in central Mexico in being essentially non-rhizomatous and in having glabrous rame axes and pedicels that are ciliate only on the distal half.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number."/8" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Schizachyrium cirratum"
fimbriate +  and cupulate +
anatomy +  and kranz +
J.K. Wipff +
(Hack.) Wooton & Standi. +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
divergent +  and parallel +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
widening +
pseudopetiolate +
non-radiate +  and radiate +
not flexuous +  and straight +
well-developed +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (17 cm170 mm <br />0.17 m <br />) +
usually linear +  and lanceolate occasionally ovate +
reduced +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
spikelike +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br />) +
Texas schizachyrium +  and Texas beardgrass +
branching +  and not rooting +
ascending +  and erect +
glaucous +  and glabrous +
31 cm310 mm <br />0.31 m <br /> (75 cm750 mm <br />0.75 m <br />) +
not woody +
Ariz. +, N.Mex. +, Calif. +  and Tex. +
capillary +
sometimes longer +
concealing +
1 +  and 2 +
compressed +  and terete +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
scabrous +  and glabrous +
lanceolate +  and linear +
unequal +
membranous +
uncinate +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
bracteate +  and ebracteate +
pedunculate +  and multiple-stalked +
solid +  and hollow +
ciliate +  and glabrous +
filiform +  and clavate +
photosynthetic +
not aromatic +
awned +, bifid +  and bilobed +
coriaceous +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
2-keeled +  and convex +
complex +  and simple +
concealed +  and prominent +
pedicellate +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.2mm +  and 0.5mm +
dry +  and fleshy +
elongate +
staminate +, pedicellate +  and sessile +
in triplets +  and paired +
compressed +
usually smaller +  and reduced +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
fused +  and free +
2 +  and 3 +
dome--shaped +  and triangular +
Andropogon cirratus +
Schizachyrium cirratum +
Schizachyrium +
species +
sessile-pedicellate +
perennial +  and annual +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +