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Native Grasses <br />14. Little bluestem (Andrapopon scoparius) <br />A warm season mid grass. Eastem half of the state, <br />as faz west as Larimer and Archuleta counties; plains, dry <br />hills, and open woods; on medium to sandy and gravelly <br />sail. <br />Grazed most when young and growing. After the <br />seedheads are produced livestock do not readily eat the <br />forage. On ranges that are grazed heavily or continuously <br />in the spring and early summer each year little bluestem <br />is replaced by blue grama and other shortgrasses. <br />A bunchgrass with occasional short rhizomes. Culms <br />are usually about 2 feet tall up to 4, numerous, in groups <br />(tufts): pithy like cornstalks. Leaves are rather rough. <br />narrow, up to 10 inches long. The culms and the leaves <br />become a purple-red color when mature. The inflor- <br />escence is several racemes on each culm. There is only <br />one raceme at each point of origin. Spikelets are in pairs <br />one sessile and produces a seed, the other on a pedicel <br />and does not produce a seed. The lemma of the seed- <br />producing spikelet has a bent, twisted awn about Ill inch <br />long. The lemma of the non-seed producing spikelet <br />has a shorter awn. The pedicels are covered with <br />short, white hairs. <br />Page 13 <br />15. Big bluestem (Andrapogon gerard~) <br />A warm season, tall grass. Eastern half of the state, <br />mostly along the foothills. Might be found anywhere in <br />the state. Plains, meadows and sand hills. Produces a lot <br />of forage that is grazed most in the spring and early <br />summer. Some use is sometimes made of it during the <br />winter. Heavy grazing reduces the :stand of big bluestem. <br />A robust bunchgrass with occa<ional short, thick <br />rhizomes. Culms 2 1/2 to 6 feet tall, solid or pithy. Leaf <br />blades 4 to l8 inches long, margins rough, with fine hairs <br />near the base. The leaves and the calms become apurple- <br />red color when mature. The inflorescence is made up of Z <br />to 6 spike-like racemes arising from a common joint. <br />Spikelets in pairs, one sessile and produces a seed, the <br />other on a pedicel and does not produce a seed. The <br />lemma of the sessile seed-producing; spikelet has a bent, <br />twisted awn about 1/2 to 1 inch Ion;. The pedicellate <br />spikelet is awnless. The pedicels an: covered with <br />numerous white or gray hairs. <br />