Fendler three-awn, also called small triple-awn grass, is a small, 

 tufted perennial 4 to 12 inches high. The species largely inhabits dry, 

 sandy soils of deserts, plains, mesas, and foothills but sometimes is 

 found in dry mountain parks up to 8,500 feet. It is a widely dis- 

 tributed species, occurring in the West from South Dakota and 

 Montana to Texas and Lower California. 



In the Southwest Fendler three-awn has fair forage value while 

 green in spring and early summer. The volume of forage produced 

 is small and it is inferior to most of the larger three-awn species for 

 forage. In the Intermountain Region it is considered almost worth- 

 less, and stockmen sometimes call it "no-eat-um grass" because of its 

 unpalatability. The seeds mature in midsummer or later, after which 

 time it is practically worthless as forage and is occasionally a menace 

 to grazing animals when the large three-branched beards (awns) ap- 

 pear. In some localities Fendler three-awn is abundant, although 

 usually it occurs in scattered stands mixed with other grasses, weeds, 

 and shrubs. 



