Poaceae
Grass Family
Stipa spartea Trin.
- Stem: perennial; tufted; 2 1/2’ to 3 1/2’ tall; smooth.
- Leaves: sheath smooth; ligule 3/16” tall, thin; blade 1’ to 2’ by 1/8”, narrower than the sheath at the base, narrowing to a long, threadlike tip, smooth.
- Inflorescence: contracted, branching flower stalk (panicle); 4” to 8” long.
- Spikelets: glumes 1” long, straw-colored, with long-tapered points; flowering from mid-May to early June.
- Fruits: mature grain 1/2” to 3/8” long, with a sharp point, hairy above the point, and a long awn about 4” long, the lower 2” twisted, the outer 2” bent at an angle; fruiting begins in early June; fruits fall from the glumes between mid-June and early July.
- Habitat: common on dry and mesic prairies; also on roadsides and in other open places.
- Notes: The long awn, which twists as it dries and untwists as it absorbs moisture, catches in plant litter, and the seed is forced into the soil as the awn continues to untwist and elongate.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
