Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.

Buffalo Grass

© DETenaglia

Family - Poaceae/Cynodonteae

Stems - No info yet.

Leaves - No info yet.

	Sheath and leaf base.
© DETenaglia

	Arrow shows ligule.
© DETenaglia

Inflorescence - No info yet.

	Staminate inflorescence.
© DETenaglia

	Pistillate inflorescence.
© DETenaglia

Flowers - No info yet.

	Staminate spikelets...
© DETenaglia

	...again.
© DETenaglia

	Pistillate spikelets.
© DETenaglia

Flowering - May - August.

Habitat - Loess hill prairies, roadsides, railroads. Also cultivated as a lawn grass.

Origin - Native to U.S.

Other info. - This little species is rare in Missouri and can be found in just a handful of counties bordering the Missouri River. The plant is easy to identify becasue of its small size and distinctive staminate spikes. The pistillate spikes are small and mostly hidden amongst the leaves. Although the leaf sheaths appear quite hairy in the photos above, they can also be glabrous. The ligule is a short line of hairs.
Buchloe dactyloides is becoming more common in cultivation as a lawn grass becasue of its fine, soft texture and low-growing habit. The plant is also drought resistant.

Photographs taken off Hwy 4, Beatrice, NE., 8-15-06, and at Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve, KS., 9-23-06.