Overview
Interesting Facts
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Arizona Three-Awn Grass, Arizona Threeawn
Description
Genus Aristida
Perennials
, less often annuals
or suffruticose
. Culms
tufted
. Leaf blades
usually basal, rolled or rarely flat. Inflorescence a narrow or open panicle. Spikelets
with 1 floret; glumes
scarious
, narrow, unequal with the upper usually longer
, 1(-3) -veined; floret callus bearded
, obtuse
to pungent
or 2-toothed; lemma narrowly cylindrical or laterally compressed
, convolute, glabrous
or sparsely hairy
; awn
3-branched, branches arising directly from lemma apex or seated on a straight or twisted column, persistent
or disarticulating
either at base
or apex of column (always persistent in China), scabrid
. Stamens 3.
About 300 species: widely distributed in tropical
and warm-temperate regions of the world; ten species (six endemic) in China.
This genus is found on poor, dry soils in areas of low rainfall, but does not usually penetrate into true desert.[1]
Physical Description
Habit: Graminoid • Growth Form: Bunch • Shape and Orientation: Erect
Flowers: Bloom Period: Mid Summer • Flower Color: Yellow • Flower Conspicuous: No
Seeds: Seed per Pound: 500000 • Seed Spread Rate: Moderate • Seedling Vigor: Medium • Fruit/Seed Abundance: Medium • Fruit/Seed Color: Brown • Fruit/Seed Conspicuous: No • Cold Stratification Required: No
Foliage: Foliage Color: Green • Foliage Porosity Summer: Moderate • Foliage Porosity Winter: Porous • Foliage Texture: Medium • Fall Conspicuous: No • Leaf Retention: No
Size/Age/Growth
Active Growth Period: Summer • Growth Rate: Rapid • After Harvest Regrowth Rate: Slow • Mature Height (feet): 2.0 • Vegetative Spread Rate: None • Lifespan: Lifespan
Biology
Reproduction
Duration: Perennial • Coppice Potential: No • Progagated by Bulbs: No • Propagated by Bare Root: No • Propagated by Container: No • Propagated by Corms: No • Propagated by Cuttings: No • Propagated by Seed: Yes • Propagated by Sod: No • Propagated by Sprigs: No • Propagated by Tubers: No • Fruit/Seed Period Begin: Summer • Fruit/Seed Period End: Summer • Fruit/Seed Persistence: No
Growth
Soil: Adapted to Medium Textured: Adapted to Medium Textured Soils • Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils: Yes • Anaerobic Tolerance: None • Salinity Tolerance: Low • CaCO3 Tolerance: Low • Minimum pH: 5.5 • Maximum pH: 7.5 • Fertility Requirement: Low
Sunlight: Shade Tolerance: Intolerant
Moisture: Drought Tolerance: High • Minimum Precipitation: 2 • Maximum Precipitation: 15 • Moisture Use: Low
Temperature: Minimum Temperature (F): -3 • Minimum Frost Free Days: 160
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
()
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
()
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
()
- Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
()
- (Auct.) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Infraphylum:
Angiospermae
()
- Auct.
- Class:
Spermatopsida
()
- Brongniart, 1843
- Subclass:
Commelinidae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Juncanae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Order:
Poales
()
- Small, 1903
- Family:
Gramineae
()
- A.L. de Jussieu, 1789, nom. cons., nom. alt.
- Subfamily:
Aristidoideae
()
- Genus:
Aristida
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1753
- Threeawn
- Specific epithet:
arizonica
- Vasey
- Botanical name: - Aristida arizonica Vasey
- Specific epithet:
arizonica
- Vasey
- Genus:
Aristida
(
- Subfamily:
Aristidoideae
(
- Family:
Gramineae
(
- Order:
Poales
(
- Superorder:
Juncanae
(
- Subclass:
Commelinidae
(
- Class:
Spermatopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Angiospermae
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Notes
Name
Status: Accepted Name
.
Last scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000
Similar Species
Members of the genus Aristida
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 65 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:
A. adscensionis (Six-Weeks Three-Awn Grass) · A. adscensionis var. adscensionis (Sixweeks Threeawn) · A. arizonica (Arizona Three-Awn Grass) · A. basiramea (Forked Three-Awn) · A. beyrichiana (Beyrich Threeawn) · A. californica (California Three-Awn Grass) · A. californica var. californica (California Threeawn) · A. californica var. glabrata (Santa Rita Threeawn) · A. chaseae (Chase's Threeawn) · A. cognata (Spreading Threeawn) · A. condensata (Big Three-Awned Grass) · A. desmantha (Curly Threeawn) · A. dichotoma (Churchmouse Threeawn) · A. dichotoma var. curtissii (Curtis' Threeawn) · A. dichotoma var. dichotoma (Churchmouse Threeawn) · A. divaricata (Poverty Threeawn) · A. floridana (Key West Threeawn) · A. gypsophila (Gypsum Threeawn) · A. gyrans (Corkscrew Three-Awn Grass) · A. havardii (Harvard Threeawn) · A. lanosa (Woolly Three-Awn) · A. longespica (Slim-Spike Three-Awn Grass) · A. longespica geniculata (Spiked Needlegrass) · A. longespica longespica (Kearney´s Three-Awn) · A. longespica var. geniculata (Slimspike Threeawn) · A. longispica (Slimspike Threeawn) · A. longispica var. geniculata (Slimspike Threeawn) · A. longispica var. longispica (Slimspike Threeawn) · A. mohrii (Mohr's Three-Awn Grass) · A. oligantha (Oldfield Threeawn) · A. orcuttiana var. orcuttiana (Single Threeawn) · A. palustris (Longleaf Three-Awn) · A. pansa (Wooton Threeawn) · A. pansa var. pansa (Wooton's Threeawn) · A. patula (Tall Three-Awn Grass) · A. portoricensis (Pelos Del Diablo) · A. purpurascens (Arrowfeather Threeawn) · A. purpurascens var. purpurascens (Arrowfeather Threeawn) · A. purpurascens var. tenuispica (Arrowfeather Threeawn) · A. purpurascens var. virgata (Arrowfeather Threeawn) · A. purpurea (Democrat Grass) · A. purpurea var. fendleriana (Fendlers Threeawn) · A. purpurea var. longiseta (Fendlers Threeawn) · A. purpurea var. micrantha (Red Three-Awn) · A. purpurea var. nealleyi (Blue Threeawn) · A. purpurea var. parishii (Parish Threeawn) · A. purpurea var. perplexa (Purple Threeawn) · A. purpurea var. purpurea (Purple Threeawn) · A. purpurea var. wrightii (Wrights Threeawn) · A. ramosissima (Branched Three-Awn Grass) · A. ramosissima var. ramosissima (S-Curve Threeawn) · A. refracta (Islandthicket Threeawn) · A. rhizomophora (Florida Three-Awn Grass) · A. schiedeana (Single Threeawn) · A. schiedeana var. orcuttiana (Orcutt's Threeawn) · A. simpliciflora (Southern Three-Awned Grass) · A. spiciformis (Bottlebrush Threeawn) · A. stricta (Pineland Three-Awn Grass) · A. stricta var. beyrichiana (Wiregrass) · A. suringarii (St. Eustatius Threeawn) · A. swartziana (Swartz's Threeawn) · A. ternipes (Spider Three-Awn Grass) · A. ternipes var. gentilis (Mesa Threeawn) · A. ternipes var. ternipes (Spidergrass) · A. tuberculosa (Seabeach Needlegrass)
More Info
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Further Reading
- A report upon the grasses and forage plants of central Texas. By H.L. Bentley. .. Washington, Govt. print. off., 1898. url p. 28.
- American plants. .. [Descriptions, bibliographical notes, synonymy, and other information, comp. from many sources] Charles Russell Orcutt, editor. San Diego, Calif., [1907]-1910. url p. 43.
- Britton, N. L. (ed.). North American flora. 7 1906 [New York]New York Botanical Garden. url p. 37, p. 397, p. 73, p. 74.
- Bulletin / United States Department of Agriculture, Division of Agrostology. Washington, D.C.: The Division, 1895-1901. url p. 28, p. 42.
- Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 13 1886 New York: Torrey Botanical Club, 1870-1996 url p. 27, p. 490.
- Carnegie Institution of Washington publication. Washington, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1902- url p. 119, p. 145, p. 146, p. 147.
- Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 17 1913-1916 Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1890- url p. 275, p. 279, p. 531, p. 551, p. 568, p. 569, p. 600, p. 602, p. 62, p. 628, p. 64, p. 708, p. 72, p. 729, p. 744.
- Family #15, Gramineae / Richard W. Pohl. 4 1980 [Chicago]: Field Museum of Natural History, 1980. url p. 55, p. 597.
- Flora of New Mexico / by E.O. Wooton and Paul C. Standley. Washington: G.P.O., 1915. url p. 62, p. 64.
- Flora of New Mexico. By E.O. Wooton and Paul C. Standley. WashingtonGovt. Print. Off.1915 url p. 62, p. 64.
- Great Basin naturalist memoirs. 1987 [Provo, Utah]Brigham Young University, 1976-1992. url p. 699.
- Illustrations of North American grasses. Washington, Govt. Print. Off., 1891-93. url p. 85, p. 86.
- Key to the Rocky Mountain flora; Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and British Columbia. New York, 1919. url p. 25.
- Manual of the grasses of the United States / by A.S. Hitchcock. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1935. url p. 455, p. 457, p. 797.
- Memoirs of the San Diego Society of Natural History. 12 1981 San Diego, Calif.: The Society, 1931-1989. url p. 103.
- Phytologia. Bronx Park, New York, H.A. Gleason and H.N. Moldenke, url p. 215.
- Plant indicators: the relation of plant communities to process and practice. WashingtonCarnegie Institution of Washington1920 url p. 119, p. 145, p. 146, p. 147.
- Plant succession; an analysis of the development of vegetation, Washington, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1916. url .
- The Great Basin naturalist. 38 1978 Provo, Utah: M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, 1939-1999. url p. 149, p. 8.
- The Plant world. Baltimore [etc.]Plant World Association [etc.] url p. 112, p. 114, p. 115, p. 117.
- The forests and flora of British Honduras / by Paul C. Standley and Samuel J. Record; in cooperation with the Conservator of Forests and the Agricultural Officer of the Colony. 12 1936 Chicago: [Field Museum of Natural History], 1936. url p. 69.
- The grasses and grass-like plants of New Mexico / E.O. Wooton and Paul C. Standley. Agricultural College, N.M.: New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, Agricultural Experiment Station, 1912. url p. 56.
Notes
Contributors
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 16, 2007:
- Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, The Deaver Herbarium, Northern Arizona University
- USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2661438
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-41410
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13753872
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:389248-1
- GRIN Nomen Number: 453501
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 41410
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PMPOA0K030
- U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: ARAR6
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 19385
Footnotes
- Sheng-lian Lu, Shou-liang Chen & Sylvia M. Phillips "Aristida". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 453. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
