Major Plants of the Great Plains Amanda Gearhart Amanda Gearhart Mike Haddock
Rangelands of the North America
Deserts & Semideserts Grassland & Savannas Mediterranean Deserts & Semideserts
Rangelands of the Great Plains
Variation in Annual Precipitation Across U.S.
Great Plains Hallock, Minnesota Great Basin
= Major Rangeland Soils
Plants of the Great Plains GRASSES - - - - - - - - - ANDROPOGONEAE Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii ANDROPOGONEAE Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium ANDROPOGONEAE Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans CYNODONTEAE Blue Grama Bouteloua gracilis CYNODONTEAE Buffalograss Buchloe dactyloides PANICEAE Switchgrass Panicum virgatum FORBS - - - - - - - - ASTEREA Missouri Goldonrod Solidago missouriensis EUPATORIEAE Dotted Gayfeather Liatris punctata HELIANTHEAE Prairie Coneflower Ratibida columnifera ROSACEAE Shrubby Cinquefoil Pentapylloides fruticosa ** All are Perennial and Native
ANDROPOGONEAE Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem Large sodgrass with thick base Can have extensive scaly rhizomes Seedhead is a panicle with 2-6 digitate (finger-like) branches Page 30-31
ANDROPOGONEAE Andropogon gerardii 2 florets per spikelet; one floret with awn, one infertile and awnless Big Bluestem Page 30-31
ANDROPOGONEAE Schizachyrium scoparium Mid-sized bunchgrass about half the size of Big Bluestem Sheaths and culms flat Little Bluestem Page 38-39 Short rhizomes
ANDROPOGONEAE Schizachyrium scoparium Several small racemes in a panicletype arrangement Each seed has a small kinky awn Little Bluestem Page 38-39
ANDROPOGONEAE Sorghastrum nutans Large sodgrass With short, scaley rhizomes Auricles erect flanking ligule rifle-sight ligule Short, soft hairs at the nodes Indiangrass Page 40-41
ANDROPOGONEAE Sorghastrum nutans Seedhead is a single, narrow, plume-like panicle Seed is light and fluffy with small awns attached. Indiangrass Page 40-41
Cynodonteae Bouteloua gracilis Blue Grama Page 86-87 Densely tufted plant with short, mostly basal, leaves
Cynodonteae Bouteloua gracilis Inflorescence has 1-3 (normally 2) spicate branches (combs) per culm Spikelets are densely crowded on comb-like branches Blue Grama Page 86-87
Cynodonteae Buchloe dactyloides Buffalograss Page 92-93 Shortgrass that is stoloniferous and forms a dense sod Male spikelets are arranged on spicate inflorescence branch
Cynodonteae Buchloe dactyloides Buffalograss Page 92-93 Male & female on separate plants (dioecious) Female flower Male flower
Paniceae Panicum virgatum Rhizomatous, tall grass with stout clums Tuft of hair at throat of sheath Switchgrass Page 152-153
Paniceae Panicum virgatum Switchgrass Page 152-153 Seedhead is a broad and diffuse panicle Spikelets toward ends of panicle branches Each spikelet has one floret
ASTEREAE Solidago missouriensis Missouri Goldenrod herbaceous forb with erect stems arising singly from a creeping rhizome brownish or reddish stems leaves taper at both ends, entire or only slightly serrated leaves have 3 or more distinct veins parallel to margin; road-map venation Page 254-255
ASTEREAE Solidago missouriensis Missouri Goldenrod inflorescence panicle-like with recurving branches (e.g. curved pyramidal inflorescence) member of the Astereae tribe of the Asteraceae family Page 254-255
EUPATORIEAE Liatris punctata Surface of leaves distinctly punctate (dotted with little holes) Leaves linear & sessile Thick bulb below the soil surface Dotted Gayfeather Page 262-263
EUPATORIEAE Liatris punctata Dotted Gayfeather Page 262-263 Purple/lavender flowers Flowers sessile on stem Flowers in axil of leaves Thick, punctate bracts
HELIANTHEAE Ratibida columnifera Leaves deeply cleft to midrib, with stiff hairs Stems from a woody taproot Prairie Coneflower Page 280-281
HELIANTHEAE Ratibida columnifera Prairie Coneflower Page 280-281 Ray flowers yellow or red Disk flowers brown and in a cylindrical column
Rosaceae Pentaphylloides fruticosa Shrubby Cinquefoil Small shrub branching from base Red shreddy bark Yellow or orange flowers Page 413-414
Rosaceae Pentaphylloides fruticosa Shrubby Cinquefoil Page 413-414 Yellow or orange flowers with 5 petals Leaves pinnately compound with stipule at base