SafePlants

Aristida desmantha - Curly Threeawn

Aristida desmantha, commonly known as Curly Threeawn, is a species of grass belonging to the Poaceae family. Its distinctive name comes from the tendency of its leaves to curl with age.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Aristida desmantha Trin. & Rupr.
• Common Names: Curly Threeawn, Threeawn, Curly
• Family: Poaceae (Grass Family)
• Tribe: Aristideae
• Genus: Aristida L.
• Synonyms: None explicitly mentioned in the text.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant can become curly with age.
• The plant has sharp edges.

Considerations for Children

• The plant can become curly with age.
• The plant has sharp edges.

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to: Canada (CAN), United States (I, N HI I L48 N PR I, N VI I, N)
• Specific Locations: Florida, Key West; Illinois

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Duration: Annual (lives for one year)
• Growth Habit: Graminoid (grass-like)
• Evergreen: Stays green during spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
• Size: Medium, reaching up to 2 meters in height.
• Culms: (30)45-80 cm, branching at the lower nodes, often diffusely so nodes and internodes glabrous.
• Leaves: cauline sheaths

Ecological Role

• May be considered an invader in some contexts, particularly in areas with poor soil.

Associations

• Can be found growing alongside other native grasses like Curly Mesquite (Hilaria belangeri) and Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea).
• Sometimes grazed in association with other grasses.

Resources and Further Information

• USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
• Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.
• Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. Washington
• Discover Life
• Grass Manual on the Web: Aristida purpurascens