. Common plants of longleaf pine-bluestem range. Plant ecology; Grasses; Forage plants. BIG BLUESTEM Andropogon gerardii Vitm. Big bluestem is the largest native bluestem in the United States, often reaching 6 feet. Although plants spread by short rhizomes, bases are often densely tufted, as in the true bunchgrasses. Leaves are mostly basal, with broad blades. Basal shoots are usually flattened. Leaves vary from very sparsely to densely hairy. Thick, purplish racemes are 2 to 4 inches long and generally in twos or threes; they diverge toward the tips in a "bird- foot" pattern that di
. Common plants of longleaf pine-bluestem range. Plant ecology; Grasses; Forage plants. BIG BLUESTEM Andropogon gerardii Vitm. Big bluestem is the largest native bluestem in the United States, often reaching 6 feet. Although plants spread by short rhizomes, bases are often densely tufted, as in the true bunchgrasses. Leaves are mostly basal, with broad blades. Basal shoots are usually flattened. Leaves vary from very sparsely to densely hairy. Thick, purplish racemes are 2 to 4 inches long and generally in twos or threes; they diverge toward the tips in a "bird- foot" pattern that distinguishes big bluestem from all other southern grasses. Identification may be difficult during much of the growing season, how- ever, for flowers rarely appear before late summer. Because palatability is high, cattle often graze the plants closely, preventing seedstalk development. Without seed heads, big bluestem closely resem- bles Florida paspalum, but is usually distinguish- able by vegetative characters. In big bluestem, leaf blades narrow slightly near the collar, widening gradually toward the midsection; blade width in Florida paspalum is relatively constant throughout the lower one-third to one-half. The inner surface of the big bluestem sheath is brownish to bronze, corresponding in color to the ligule, while that of Florida paspalum is green. Because of its high yield and palatability, big bluestem is one of the best native forage grasses in the Prairie States. In the South, however, it is generally too scarce on most sites to contribute much forage. Because it is usually overgrazed when range stocking is based on the proper use of other bluestems, its presence on grazed range indicates lighter-than-average use. Range: All of United States east of Idaho and Nevada. Perennial. Culms stout, solid. 1-2 m. tall, sparingly branched toward the summit; sheaths glabrous or villous, wider than the blade, green or purplish, sometimes glaucous; ligule membranous. 1-4 mm. long,
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, booksubjectforageplants, booksubjectgrasses
