(Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium)
Conservation • Wetland • Description • Habitat • Biology • Use • Distribution • Taxonomy
Description |
||
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. |
||
Height |
||
18″ to 36″ |
||
Similar Species |
||
Habitat |
||
Dry to moderate moisture. Prairies, south-facing goat prairies, open woods, pine barrens, dunes, roadsides, railroads, old fields. Well-drained, rocky or sandy soil. |
||
Biology |
||
Flowering |
||
Mid-July to mid-October |
||
Pests and Diseases |
||
|
||
Use |
||
Little bluestem is often used in prairie restorations. |
||
Distribution |
||||
Sources |
||||
5/7/2023 | ||||
Nativity |
||||
Native |
||||
Occurrence |
||||
|
||||
Taxonomy |
|||
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 |
|||
|
|||
Common Names |
|||
broom broom beard grass broom beardgrass broom bluestem little blue-stem little bluestem prairie beard grass prairie beardgrass wiregrass |
|||
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. |
|||
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 |
|||||
Share your photo of this plant. |
|||||
This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
|||||
|
|||||
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
|||||
Habitat |
|||||
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Clump |
|||||
![]() |
![]() |
||||
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Inflorescence |
|||||
![]() |
|||||
Infructescence |
|||||
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Winter |
|||||
![]() |
![]() |
||||
Slideshows |
||
Visitor Videos |
|||
Share your video of this plant. |
|||
This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
|||
Other Videos |
|||
Little Bluestem - Andropogon scoparium at Ion Exchange Ionxchange |
|||
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 |
|||
Little Bluestem Karl Foord |
|||
About
Published on Oct 12, 2013 No description available. |
|||
Collecting Seed from Little Bluestem for Seed Bank chicagobotanicgarden |
|||
About
Uploaded on Feb 16, 2011 No description available. |
|||
Visitor Sightings |
|||||
Report a sighting of this plant. |
|||||
This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
|||||
|
|||||
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
|||||
Blazing Star Prairie Addition Preserve, South Unit Carver Highlands WMA, South Unit Charles A. Lindbergh State Park Felton Prairie SNA, Bicentennial Unit John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Kellogg Weaver Unit Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Weaver Dunes Unit Margherita Preserve-Audubon Prairie Minnesota Valley NWR, Wilkie Unit Mound Spring Prairie SNA, North Unit Mound Spring Prairie SNA, South Unit Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Hoffman Unit Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Pavia Unit Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Rengstorf Unit Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Spieker Unit Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Touch the Sky Prairie Unit Pankratz Memorial Prairie, North Unit Pembina Trail Preserve SNA, Crookston Prairie Unit Pembina Trail Preserve SNA, Pembina Trail Unit Prairie Creek WMA, Koester Prairie Unit Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve Sand Prairie Wildlife Management and Environmental Education Area Verlyn Marth Memorial Prairie SNA |
|||||
Last Updated: