''Pappophorum bicolor'' is a species of

grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns a ...

known by the common name pink pappusgrass.

Distribution

The plant is bunchgrass

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to North America, where it occurs in Northeastern Mexico and in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

(United States).Grass Manual Treatment: ''Pappophorum bicolor''.
It is found in the Great Plains, other

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

s, meadows, pastures, oak savannahs, and along roadsides.

Description

This 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 perenni ...

grows up to 1 m (3 ft.) tall. The leaves are up to 20 or 30 centimeters long. The narrow panicle is somewhat pink to purple in color. It blooms from April to November.

Uses

Pink pappusgrass is used for the revegetation of

rangeland Rangelands are grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals. Types of rangelands include tallgrass and shortgrass prairies, desert grasslands and shrublands, woodlands, sava ...

, seeding along roadways, and for native

habitat restoration Restoration ecology is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human interrupt ...

.''Pappophorum bicolor''.
USDA NRCS Plant Fact Sheet. It is good for wildlife, and it provides a

forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used ...

for livestock.

Cultivation

''Pappophorum bicolor'' is cultivated as an

ornamental grass Ornamental grasses are grasses grown as ornamental plants. Ornamental grasses are popular in many colder hardiness zones for their resilience to cold temperatures and aesthetic value throughout fall and winter seasons. Classifications Along ...

, for use in traditional,

native plant In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...

, and

wildlife garden A wildlife garden (or wild garden) is an environment created by a gardener that serves as a sustainable haven for surrounding wildlife. Wildlife gardens contain a variety of habitats that cater to native and local plants, birds, amphibian ...

s.''Pappophorum bicolor''.
USDA NRCS Plant Guide.''Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife''; Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Texas Parks and Wildlife Press; (1999) Austin, Texas; . The grass may be attacked by the rice stink bug (''Oebalus pugnax'').

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile for ''Pappophorum bicolor'' (pink pappusgrass)NatureServe: ''Pappophorum bicolor''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7133106 Chloridoideae Bunchgrasses of North America Grasses of Mexico Native grasses of Texas Native grasses of the Great Plains region Flora of Northeastern Mexico