Andropogon hallii (sand bluestem, sand hill bluestem, Hall's bluestem, Hall's beardgrass, prairie bluestem, turkey-foot) is a sod-forming perennial species in the grass family, Poaceae. It is a bunchgrass which grows in tufts and can reach 7 feet (2.1 meters) in height under favorable conditions.
Andropogon hallii | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Poaceae |
Subfamily: | Panicoideae |
Genus: | Andropogon |
Species: | A. hallii
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Binomial name | |
Andropogon hallii | |
Synonyms[1][2] | |
Sand bluestem is native to North America. It is found growing from the Mississippi River west to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to Chihuahua,[1] Mexico.[3] It prefers sandy soils and will dominate in areas that average less than 30 inches of rain annually.[4]
Sand bluestem is a high quality forage with good palatability for livestock, but it cannot stand up to continuous heavy grazing. It is also valuable as browse for wildlife and as a source of edible seeds and nesting habitat for upland birds.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Andropogon hallii". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Andropogon halli". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 2018-07-13.
- ^ a b Broyles, Patrick J. (24 May 2006). "Plant Fact Sheet: Andropogon hallii" (PDF). NCRS Plant Materials Program. USDA NRCS Kansas Plant Materials Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
- ^ Van Bruggen, Theodore (2003). Wildflowers Grasses & Other Plants of the Northern Plains and Black Hills. Interior, South Dakota: Badlands Natural History Association. p. 12. ISBN 0-912410-05-1.