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Nolina micrantha

(Bear Grass)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Bear Grass, Beargrass, Chaparral Bear Grass, Chaparral Beargrass, Chaparral Nolina

Description

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Genus Nolina

Plants perennial , cespitose or arborescent , acaulescent to short-caulescent, scapose , from branched, woody caudices or bulblike structures; usually forming colonies with few to many rosettes. Stems to 25 dm. Leaves forming rosettes; blade linear , not rigid or fibrous , bases broadly expanding, margins serrulate or entire. Scape 0.5-25 dm. Inflorescences paniculate , rarely racemose, 3-18 dm; bracts caducous or occasionally persistent . Flowers 2-5 per node, functionally unisexual , pistillate flowers with staminodes, staminate flowers with reduced pistils; tepals white to cream or tan, 1.3-5 mm, apex glandular ; ovary superior; pedicel jointed near middle . Fruits capsular , 3-locular, 3-lobed, thin-walled or sometimes firm-walled, often inflated , mostly notched at base and apex or rounded distally; dehiscent , often splitting irregularly. Seeds closely or loosely invested in capsules, globose , turgid . x = 19.

Species ca. 30: North America (se and sw United States), n and nc Mexico.

In areas of west Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, the species of Nolina are not always well defined. There is variation in the presence or absence of marginal teeth on the leaves and placement of the inflorescences within or beyond the leaves. Collectors should take good notes about the plant habit and morphology and include these with their collections . Further study is needed on Nolina throughout its range . Some species of Nolina are extremely infrequent. Some are on federal and/or state rare and endangered species lists , and possibly some of those listed with a state should be listed federally.

J. C. Dice (1988) studied section Arborescens of Nolina in the United States, and presented extensive descriptions and discussion of N. bigelovii, N. parryi, N. cismontana, and N. interrata.[1]

Physical Description

Species Nolina micrantha

Plants acaulescent , cespitose; rosettes from vertical , subterranean , branched caudices. Leaf blades stiff, wiry, concavo-convex , 80-130 cm × 4-6 mm, not glaucous; margins entire or remotely serrulate , with widely separated, noncartilaginous teeth; apex lacerate . Scape 0.5-2 dm. Inflorescences paniculate , usually conspicuously tinged purple, 3.5-7.5 dm × 10-20 cm, held partially within rosettes; main rachis and divisions slender, flexible ; bracts mostly persistent , to 30 cm, apex curled; bractlets erose, 1.5-3 mm, margins hyaline . Flowers: tepals 1.9-3.2 mm; fertile stamens: filaments 0.9-1.3 mm, anthers 0.7-0.9 mm; infertile stamens: filaments 0.5-0.7 mm, anthers 0.4-0.5 mm; fruiting pedicel erect , slender, articulate near middle , not noticeably dilated , proximal to joint to 1.5 mm, distal to joint to 2.5 mm. Capsules firm-walled, inflated , 3-4 × 4.3-5.5 mm. Seeds closely invested in capsules, rounded , bursting ovary walls, 3-4 mm diam. [source]

Nolina micrantha is similar to N. texana except for the purple pigment throughout its inflorescences, later flowering dates, and less robust habit. [source]

Habit: Subshrub , Shrub

Flowers: Bloom Period: April, May. • Flower Color: purple, red

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 24-36" tall.

Habitat

Rocky limestone slopes or sandy soils, in grasslands; 1100--1400 m [2].

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 24-36" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 6.6 • Maximum pH: 8.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Moisture: Drought Tolerance: High

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 09-Jul-2004

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Nolina

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 20 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

N. arenicola (Sand Bear-Grass) · N. atopocarpa (Florida Bear-Grass) · N. bigelovii (Bigelow Beargrass) · N. bigelovii var. bigelovii (Bigelow's Nolina) · N. brittoniana (Britton's Bear-Grass) · N. cismontana (California Beargrass) · N. erumpens (Beargrass) · N. georgiana (Georgia Bear-Grass) · N. guatemalensis (Curly Nolina) · N. interrata (Dehesa Beargrass) · N. lindheimeriana (Beargrass) · N. longifolia (Oaxacan Tree Nolina) · N. matapensis (Sonoran Tree Bear Grass) · N. micrantha (Bear Grass) · N. microcarpa (Basket Grass) · N. nelsonii (Blue Nolina) · N. parryi (Bear Grass) · N. recurvata (Elephant's Foot Tree) · N. recurvata var. albomarginata 'Yellow Star' (Pony Tail Palm) · N. texana (Bunch Grass)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. William J. Hess "Nolina". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 413, 414, 415, 416, 419. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Nolina micrantha". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 416, 419. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
Last Revised: 7/15/2012