''Bouteloua chondrosioides'', commonly known as sprucetop grama, is a perennial

bunchgrass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial ...

native to southern Arizona and northern Mexico.

Description

Sprucetop grama is a small drought tolerant bunchgrass that grows to around tall in the wild. Under ideal conditions the plant can grow up to tall and exhibit turfgrass characteristics. Flowers are spikate, notable for their bright orange

anthers The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

, and are sent up in July through August. Seeds are set and spread September through October, although Sprucetop can also be propagated through rootstock. Flowers grow on racemes containing 3 to 7 spikes. Each spike bears between 7 and 13

perfect Perfect commonly refers to: * Perfection, completeness, excellence * Perfect (grammar), a grammatical category in some languages Perfect may also refer to: Film * Perfect (1985 film), ''Perfect'' (1985 film), a romantic drama * Perfect (2018 f ...

spikelets. Leaves are mostly basal with short sheathes and are mildly furrowed. Roots are strong and fibrous, but lack a central taproot.

Distribution

Sprucetop grama is found chiefly in northern Mexico and in the desert foothills of southern Arizona. Field research showed that sprucetop preferred shallow slopes with acidic clay soils. Sprucetop was usually found growing among other drought tolerant prairie grasses, such as '' Bouteloua hirsuta'' and ''

Hilaria belangeri ''Hilaria belangeri'' is a species of grass known by the common name curly mesquite, sometimes written curlymesquite or curly-mesquite. It is not related to mesquites, which are legumes. This grass is native to Mexico and the southwestern United ...

''. It represents an important forage crop for cattle grazing.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15509251 chondrosioides Grasses of North America Grasses of Mexico Grasses of the United States Drought-tolerant plants Warm-season grasses of North America