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Andropogon gerardii - (image 1 of 5)

Taxonomy

Family: Poaceae

Habitat

Found in moist and dry prairies.

Associates

Most consistent associate is Sorghastrum nutans

Distribution

Map

Morphology

Perennial grass to 12' high. Racemes 5-10cm long, digitate, 2 to 10 per peduncle, most commonly 4. Awns of fertile spikelets 8-20mm long, twisted below the middle. Hair of joints and rachises white to merely sordid.

Notes

Flowers early July to late September

Wetland indicator: Facultative-

One of the dominant grasses of tall grass prairies. Also called "turkeyfoot" in reference to the shape of the seed heads. Turns a pretty purple-brown late in the summer. Very pretty when the wind blows in waves through a large stand of big bluestem. 

Bibliography

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.

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