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red grama
Scientific Name: Bouteloua trifida var. trifida
Family: Poaceae
Category: Monocot
Growth: Graminoid
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Bouteloua trifida (Red Grama)
Bouteloua trifida, commonly known as Red Grama, is a perennial, warm-season grass native to North America.
Considerations for Pets
- Red Grama has bristly seedheads.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Bouteloua trifida Thurb.
- Synonym: Bouteloua trifida S. Watson
- Common Name: Red Grama
- Family: Poaceae (Grass Family)
- Tribe: Chlorideae
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to central and northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States.
- Specifically found in Texas and Arizona (Maricopa Mountains).
- Grows in shallow, gravelly, dry soils.
Morphological Characteristics
- Bunchgrass with occasional rhizomes.
- Grows up to sixteen inches tall.
- Tufted with erect or prostrate stems growing from short rootstocks.
- Leaves are short and narrow, either flat or lightly rolled with a rough surface and hairs.
- Numerous single stems protrude from the plant's base.
Ecological Role
- Provides poor grazing for wildlife and livestock.
- Classified as an invader.
- Continued heavy grazing contributes to an increase of this grass.
- Commonly associated with narrow-leaf yucca, grassland pricklypear, juniper, Texas grama, sideoats grama, hairy grama, and purple three-awn.
Additional Information
- Plant Symbol: BOTR2 (USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center).
- Discover Life has a page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Bouteloua trifida.
- Images by Bob Harms.