Angiosperms: Monocotyledons

Poaceae
Grass Family

• Stem: perennial; from strong, underground stems; 4’ to 6’ tall; smooth; emerging shoots very sharp.
• Leaves: sheath smooth; ligule 1/16”, fringed; blade to 2’ by 1/2”, arching, smooth, with upward-pointing, sharp, marginal teeth.
• Inflorescence: one-sided spikes, 2” to 6” long; few to many on each stem; spikelets crowded on the spike.
• Spikelets: 1/2” long, glumes narrow, pointed; single seeded; flowering from mid-July to early September.
• Fruits: spikelet falling with the glumes; fruiting begins in early August; spikelets held on the plant into the fall.
• Habitat: common on moist prairies; also on wet roadsides and in other open places; often growing in large patches to the exclusion of most other species.
• Notes: Very few viable seeds are produced by slough grass. Often entire spikes will be barren. In addition, insect larvae often tunnel through the spike, destroying the few seeds that are set.
• Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Vascular Plants of Iowa