Bouteloua (gracilis)
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Allegra Mount Seed Lab Manager Borderlands Restoration PO Box 1191 Patagonia, Arizona 85624 949-690-2592 borderlands.restoration@gmail.com www.borderlandsrestoration.org |
| Family Scientific Name: | Poaceae | ||
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| Family Common Name: | Grass Family | ||
| Scientific Name: | Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths | ||
| Common Name: | Blue Grama | ||
| Ecotype: | Madrean Archipelago | ||
| General Distribution: |
Blue grama grass grows in a diversity of environments across North America and is drought and heat tolerant (Anderson 2003). In the Southwest, it is primarily found on plains and foothills 3,500-7,000ft and occasionally up to 10,000ft (Wynia n.d.). It is generally found in late seral to climax communities (Anderson 2003). This important forage grass persists under grazing pressure and extreme drought conditions (Gould 1951). |
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| Propagation Goal: | Plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | Seed | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Propagule Collection: |
It is quickest to pick entire inflorescences when collecting Bouteloua gracilis. Ripe seedheads will be yellow to brown and the spikelets should readily break away from the rachis. Collectors can use clippers or remove the inflorescences by hand. |
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| Propagule Processing: |
Rub seedheads over ¼ inch sieve to separate seeds from rachis. Seed should fall through the sieve, leaving larger debris and empty seedheads on top of sieve. Small debris will also fall through the sieve; the largest of these can be picked out by hand. At this time, the MAPP seed facility does not have equipment to fully clean grass seed material down to the grain. Orthodox storage is assumed. |
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| Establishment Phase: |
In laboratory settings, blue grama germination rates have been as high as 94% without pretreatment. Direct sowing to fields results in much lower germination rates of 3-34% (Anderson 2003). |
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| References: |
Anderson, Michelle D. “Bouteloua gracilis.” Fire Effects Information System. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, 2003. Web. http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/graminoid/bougra/all.html [2017, January 25]. Gould, Frank W. Grasses of the Southwestern United States. U of Arizona, 1951. Print. Wynia, R. “Plant Guide for Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth.) Lag. ex Griffiths.” USDA NRCS Plant Guide. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Manhattan Plant Materials Center, Manhattan, Kansas. Web. https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_bogr2.pdf [2017, January 25]. Borderlands Restoration Network (2018). BRN Native Plant Materials Program Database. Unpublished Raw Data. |
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Citation:
Allen-Cantú, Juniper; Claverie, Francesca ; McNelis, Perin; Mount, Allegra. 2018. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths Plants Borderlands Restoration Patagonia, Arizona. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/01). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
