little bluestem
(Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium)
Conservation • Wetland • Description • Habitat • Biology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | N5 - Secure SNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Wetland Indicator Status |
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| Great Plains | FACU - Facultative upland |
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| Midwest | FACU - Facultative upland |
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| Northcentral & Northeast | FACU - Facultative upland |
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Description |
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Little bluestem is an erect, medium-height grass reaching 18″ to 36″ in height at maturity. The stem (culm) is distinctly wine-red or purplish near the nodes. The leaves, especially the lower ones, are rough to the touch, and may have scattered, long hairs. At the top of each culm are several ascending racemes, 1½″ to 3″ long. Each raceme occurs individually on its own slender stalk. The spikelets are hairy. The glumes have a twisted awn at the tip about ¼″ to ½″ inch long. Unlike most grasses, the stems of little bluestem remain upright in the winter. |
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Height |
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18″ to 36″ |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Dry to moderate moisture. Prairies, south-facing goat prairies, open woods, pine barrens, dunes, roadsides, railroads, old fields. Well-drained, rocky or sandy soil. |
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Biology |
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Flowering |
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Mid-July to mid-October |
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Pests and Diseases |
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Use |
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Little bluestem is often used in prairie restorations. |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 5/7/2023 | ||||
Nativity |
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Native |
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Occurrence |
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Taxonomy |
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| Kingdom | Plantae (green algae and land plants) | ||
| Subkingdom | Viridiplantae (green plants) | ||
| Infrakingdom | Streptophyta (land plants and green algae) | ||
| Superdivision | Embryophyta (land plants) | ||
| Division | Tracheophyta (vascular plants) | ||
| Subdivision | Spermatophytina (seed plants) | ||
| Class | Liliopsida (monocots) | ||
Order |
Poales (grasses, sedges, cattails, and allies) | ||
Family |
Poaceae (grasses) | ||
| No Rank | PACMAD clade | ||
| Subfamily | Panicoideae (bristlegrasses, bluestems, paspalums, and allies) | ||
| Tribe | Andropogoneae (bluestems, lemon grasses, silvergrasses, and allies) | ||
| Subtribe | Andropogoninae (bluestems, thatching grasses, and allies) | ||
Genus |
Schizachyrium (little bluestems and allies) | ||
| Species | Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) | ||
Synonyms |
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Common Names |
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broom broom beard grass broom beardgrass broom bluestem little blue-stem little bluestem prairie beard grass prairie beardgrass wiregrass |
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The “blue” in the name refers to the color of the emerging shoots in the early summer. The “little” in the name is a misnomer—this is not a little plant—but differentiates it from similarly-named big bluestem. |
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Glossary
Awn
A stiff, bristle-like appendage at the tip of the glume, lemma, or palea of grass florets.
Culm
The hollow or pithy stem of a grass, sedge, or rush.
Glume
A bract at the base of a grass spikelet. Glumes usually occur in pairs, but occasionally only one is present.
Raceme
An unbranched, elongated inflorescence with stalked flowers. The flowers mature from the bottom up.
Visitor Photos |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Winter |
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Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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| Little Bluestem - Andropogon scoparium at Ion Exchange Ionxchange |
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About
Uploaded on Oct 4, 2011 Earthyman views Little Bluestem (Andropogon scoparium) also known as Schizachyrium scoparium at Ion Exchange, native seed and plant nursery in NE Iowa ttp://ionxchange.com/products/ANDROPOGON-SCOPARIUM-%7C-Little-Blue-Stem.html |
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| Little Bluestem Karl Foord |
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About
Published on Oct 12, 2013 No description available. |
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| Collecting Seed from Little Bluestem for Seed Bank chicagobotanicgarden |
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About
Uploaded on Feb 16, 2011 No description available. |
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