Bouteloua eriopoda (Torr.) Torr., black grama 
DESCRIPTION 
Warm-season, stoloniferous perennial. 
Height : 10 to 20 inches. 
Leaf blade : Narrow; rolls inward during dry periods, giving 
a threadlike appearance. 
Leaf sheath: Short; clasps stem tightly. 
Ligule : Ring of short hair. 
Stem: Solid; lower half of internodes woolly, upper half 
smooth. 
Seedhead: 3 to 8 spikes per seedhead ; 18 to 20 spikelets per 
spike. 
GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS 
During mild winters and with adequate moisture, lower stems 
stay green all winter. New leaves grow from buds at nodes on sto- 
lons and from axillary buds at basal nodes. Seeding habits are not 
dependable. In some years when a good seed crop is produced, seed 
viability is low. Reproduces primarily from stolons. A healthy 
plant generally produces 6 to 9 stolons. Two favorable successive 
growing seasons are required for reproduction by stolons: First 
year, to produce stolons ; second year, for stolons to take root and 
establish new plants. Generally grows in pure stands. 
DISTRIBUTION 
West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico. 
SITE ADAPTATION 
Grows mostly on dry gravelly or sandy soils; seldom grows on 
clay loams or adobe (clay) flats. Black grama is characteristically 
a lower altitude grass (3,500 to 5,500 feet elevation) but occasion- 
ally grows at elevations of 7,000 feet. 
USE AND MANAGEMENT 
Black grama is a choice forage grass grazed by all livestock. It 
is cut for hay on some ranges in wet seasons. 
This grass is easily killed by overgrazing. To improve black 
grama ranges, defer grazing 2 successive years during growing 
season and do not graze more than 50 percent of current growth 
by weight during dormancy. To maintain ranges, defer grazing 
one growing season every third year. 
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