. Common plants of longleaf pine-bluestem range. Plant ecology; Grasses; Forage plants. SLENDER BLUESTEM Andropogon tener (Nees) Kunth Slender bluestem is usually the most abundant grass on cutover longleaf pine lands. As the name suggests, it is fine-stemmed and narrow-leaved. The wiry flower stalks are up to 3 feet long, but have a sprawling habit. Hence plants rarely exceed feet in height. Slender bluestem grows on a variety of sites, but is most productive on well- drained soils. Each flower stalk branch bears a single, slim, practically hairless raceme about 2 inches long. The racemes
. Common plants of longleaf pine-bluestem range. Plant ecology; Grasses; Forage plants. SLENDER BLUESTEM Andropogon tener (Nees) Kunth Slender bluestem is usually the most abundant grass on cutover longleaf pine lands. As the name suggests, it is fine-stemmed and narrow-leaved. The wiry flower stalks are up to 3 feet long, but have a sprawling habit. Hence plants rarely exceed feet in height. Slender bluestem grows on a variety of sites, but is most productive on well- drained soils. Each flower stalk branch bears a single, slim, practically hairless raceme about 2 inches long. The racemes begin appearing in early summer and shatter soon after maturity. Thereafter, plants can be identified by slightly enlarged tips of flower stalk branches. Slender bluestem grows mixed with other grasses. In favorable years its dense mass of reclining seed- stalks obscures other species, creating an illusion of extensive pure stands. As it does not tolerate heavy shade, abundance decreases following refor- estation of cutover lands. On nontimbered sites, this grass is important in the cattle diet. It matures much earlier than most associated grasses and, unless grazed closely, be- comes fibrous and unpalatable by midsummer. An accumulation of old growth not only discourages grazing but interferes with growth, thereby reduc- ing herbage production. Where a heavy rough de- velops, burning may materially improve grazing value. Range: Texas and Oklahoma to Florida and Georgia. Perennial. Culms 60-100 cm. long, slender, in tufts, re- clining, the upper half sparingly branched; sheaths shorter than the internode, broader than the blade, glabrous; Hgule less than 1 mm. long, edge smooth; blades 1 mm. wide, flat or loosely involute, glabrous except for sparse, fine hairs at the base; racemes 2-6 cm. long, glabrous, solitary, on long peduncles with slightly flared, toothed, cup-shaped tip; sessile spikelet 4-5 mm. long, the awn 7-10 mm. long, twisted and bent; pedicellate spikelet of two
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, booksubjectforageplants, booksubjectgrasses
