Summary ⁷

Schizachyrium scoparium, commonly known as little bluestem or beard grass, is a North American prairie grass. Little bluestem is a perennial bunchgrass and is prominent in tallgrass prairie, along with big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). It is a warm-season species, meaning it employs the C4 photosynthetic pathway.

Comments ⁸

Little Bluestem is an attractive prairie grass, particularly during the autumn. While the stems of other grasses become matted during the winter, the stems of Little Bluestem remain conspicuously upright. This species is somewhat variable in the appearance of its foliage and the hairiness of its floral racemes. Glaucous forms with blue summer foliage can be found in dry gravelly areas along railroads, while forms with reddish autumn foliage are often cultivated. An older scientific name for this species is Andropogon scoparius. However, the floral racemes of Little Bluestem occur individually on slender stalks, while the floral racemes of Andropogon spp. (Beard Grasses) occur in groups (often in finger-like clusters from the same stalk). This is the only Schizachyrium sp. in Illinois, although other species in this genus can be found in southeastern or southwestern areas of the United States. They differ from Little Bluestem in having racemes with longer hairs (at least ½" in length) and culms that are partially decumbent on the ground.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) jacki-dee ('retro look' option please), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/werms/8114855770/
2. USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://plants.usda.gov/gallery/large/ansc10_002_lvp.jpg
3. (c) "<a href=""http://www.knps.org"">Kentucky Native Plant Society</a>. Scanned by <a href=""http://www.omnitekinc.com/"">Omnitek Inc</a>.", some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=scli11_001_avd.tif
4. (c) licensed media from USDA PLANTS images without owner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://plants.usda.gov/gallery/large/anli5_001_lvd.jpg
5. USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://plants.usda.gov/gallery/large/andi8_001_lvd.jpg
6. USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://plants.usda.gov/gallery/large/ansc10_001_lvp.jpg
7. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizachyrium_scoparium
8. (c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29449301

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

Range Map

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