NAME: SIDE-OATS GRAMA Bouteloua
curtipendula
DESCRIPTION:
Leaf: Blades are flat, up to one cm wide, with a dead tip about
one-fourth to one-third the length of the blade. Leaves often have
dark pustule-looking marks.
Flower: Spikelets are borne on simple racemes, from one side of
the stem, thus, it’s name, side oats.
Present in summer.
Stem: Slender, 30 to 90 cm. in height.
DISCUSSION:
A warm-season, tufted perennial. Finding this unique grass
with its grains hanging down one side of the stem is a botanical peasure.
First, it tells you that the site you are on is rare in Kane County and second:
you may find other unusual plants in the area. The limestone outcrops
of Faybian Forst Preserve are a good place to find this.
DISTRIBUTION:
Occupy deep or shallow soil widely distributed over the grasslands east
of the Rocky Mountains, more common in mixed prairies.
IMAGES:
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COPYRIGHT:
© Copyright 2002, L&T Natural Images and Madsion
Jr. High, all rights reserved. Contact information: email at lcwik@naperville203.org or tcoutts@naperville203.org
REFERENCES:
Mohlenbroch, Robert H., and John W. Voigt. Prairie Pants of
Illinois.
Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Department of Natural Resources, 1985.
Young, Dick. Kane County Wild Plants and Natural Areas. 2nd
ed. Geneva, Il:
Kane County Illinois Forest Preserve District, 1994.
Want more images of these and many other Prairie Plants? Check
out this site! Fermilabs "Particles
and Prairie" site.
Interested in restoring a prairie parcel of your own? Try this
one! Prairie
Parcel Restoration.
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Make your own map of Illinois at:
