Bouteloua eriopoda

Species category

Revegetation or Rangeland

Common name

black grama

Diagnostic characters

Planting unit

Multiple floretFloret:
A small flower in a clustered inflorescence (e.g., sunflower, grasses). In grasses, a floret consists of the lemma, palea, stamens, and pistil.

Shape

Linear

Size

  • Length: 6 mm
  • Width: 0.5 mm
  • Thickness: 0.5 mm

Color

Brown

Texture

Smooth, short bristles at the callusCallus:
The hard base of grass florets or spikelets, just above the point of disarticulation.

Lemma

Hard with one long and two short awnsAwn:
A narrow, bristle-like organ, as on the glumes or lemmas of grasses (Poaceae).
at the tip

Palea

Enclosed beneath the lemmaLemma:
One of two bracts of the grass floret; it is located on the side nearest the embryo and opposite the rachilla.

Other structures

Three lateral bristles; the remnants of a sterile floretFloret:
A small flower in a clustered inflorescence (e.g., sunflower, grasses). In grasses, a floret consists of the lemma, palea, stamens, and pistil.
.

Identification notes

The "seed unitSeed unit:
The structure usually regarded as a seed in planting practices and in commercial channels, consisting of a true seed with or without accessory structures, as defined in Section 2.6 of the AOSA Rules. See also true seed.
" is usually a fertile basal floretFloret:
A small flower in a clustered inflorescence (e.g., sunflower, grasses). In grasses, a floret consists of the lemma, palea, stamens, and pistil.
with the remnants of a secondary floretFloret:
A small flower in a clustered inflorescence (e.g., sunflower, grasses). In grasses, a floret consists of the lemma, palea, stamens, and pistil.
attached to its rachillaRachilla:
The axis of a spikelet.
. The caryopsisCaryopsis:
The single-seeded fruit or grain of the grass family (Poaceae); the fruit wall (pericarp) is united with the seed coat (testa).
is lanceolate.

Noxious weed seed categories

Not listed

AOSA examination list

Not included

Nomenclature

Family

Poaceae

Valid name

Bouteloua eriopoda (Torr.) Torr.

Synonyms

Chondrosum eriopodum Torr.

From Left to Right: 1. and 4.  Bouteloua eriopoda  2. and 3.  Bouteloua gracilis.  Florets with three lateral bristles. 
From Left to Right: 1. and 4. Bouteloua eriopoda 2. and 3. Bouteloua gracilis. Florets with three lateral bristles. 
 Bouteloua eriopoda.  Florets with smooth, short bristles at the callus. 
Bouteloua eriopoda. Florets with smooth, short bristles at the callus.