Andropogon ternarius Michx., splitbeard bluestem 
DESCRIPTION 
Warm-season, perennial bunch grass. 
Height: 2 to 4 feet. 
Leaf blade : 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide; 10 to 16 inches long; usu- 
ally hairy ; curls at maturity. 
Leaf sheath: Covered with hair; upper part rounded; lower 
part slightly flattened and keeled ; purplish, especially dur- 
ing early plant growth. 
Stem: Slender; erect; upper two-thirds branching. 
Seedhead: Each stalk tipped by paired racemes about 2 
inches long with small tuft of hair at base; spikelets long 
and hairy. After seed disseminate a tuft of silver hair re- 
mains which suggests another common name, paintbrush 
tyuestem. Seedstalks persist* several months after seed 
ripen. 
GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS 
Growth starts about April. Forms bunches 2 to 8 inches in di- 
ameter. Basal leaves remain green until late fall; some leaves in 
center of large bunches stay green all winter. Seedheads form in 
late August and September. Splitbeard bluestem is a fair seed 
producer. It is moderately shade tolerant. Since it is not an ag- 
gressive plant, it seldom dominates a site. 
DISTRIBUTION 
Eastern part of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas to Atlantic 
coast and north to Delaware. 
SITE ADAPTATION 
Grows best on well-drained coarse- to medium-textured soils on 
ridges and knolls. 
USE AND MANAGEMENT 
Splitbeard bluestem is grazed readily by cattle in spring 
shortly after growth starts. If used as winter forage, cattle 
should be fed a protein supplement. 
This grass does not occur in sufficient quantity to be a key man- 
agement species. Proper use of associated desirable grasses, such 
as pinehill bluestem (A. diver gens) and little bluestem (A. sco- 
parius) results in proper to light use of this plant. This grass 
withstands periodic controlled burning. Annual burning followed 
by grazing tends to eliminate it. 
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