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purple threeawn
Scientific Name: Aristida purpurea
Family: Poaceae
Category: Monocot
Growth: Graminoid
Duration: Annual, Perennial
Other Names:
Aristida purpurea: Purple Three-Awn Grass
Aristida purpurea, commonly known as purple three-awn, is a species of grass native to North America.
Considerations for Pets
- This grass produces a three-spoked (3-awned) seed head.
Considerations for Children
- This grass produces a three-spoked (3-awned) seed head.
Quirky Facts
- The inflorescences, or grass flowers, are purple, leading some to imagine the earth has purple hair.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Aristida purpurea Nutt.
- Common Name: Purple three-awn (also spelled purple threeawn), Purple 3-awn, Red threeawn, Fendler Threeawn.
- Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
- Synonyms: Aristida (unspecified).
- Taxonomic Notes: Aristida purpurea was once considered a complex of about eight species but has been reduced to one species with seven varieties.
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to North America.
- Fairly widespread, found on the Kansas prairie, in Southern California, and in the deserts around Las Vegas.
- Frequently found in fair to poor condition rangelands, especially in South Texas.
- Often found in overgrazed or disturbed areas.
- Specifically mentioned as present on the Edwards Plateau, where Cretaceous limestone hills and younger gravels meet.
Ecological Role
- Can increase on rangelands, forming near monocultures and creating a stable state.
- Considered an early colonizing native species.
Morphological Characteristics
- Perennial bunchgrass.
- Typically grows to less than 3 feet in height, with some references indicating 1 to 2 feet. Some varieties can get to 30 inches tall.
- Densely tufted.
- Leaves can grow up to 5 inches long and often roll inward. They can be rolled inward or flat, 1 to 12 inches long, less than 1/10 inch wide
- Purple-tinted stems and flowers.
- The seed head is a 3-spoked (3-awned) pinwheel, which carries the seed.
- Culms (stems) are erect, tufted, 6 to 30 inches tall, glabrous (smooth), and hollow.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- A plant pathogenic urediniomycete fungus has been described from three-awn grass.
Additional Information
- Forage value depends largely on the other species present. It is considered poor grazing for wildlife and fair grazing for livestock.
- Popular among horticulturalists.
- See also: Encyclopedia of Life.