Meet the strange shimmering spikelets of Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)

When an observer looks at the seedheads of Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem), they may gasp at its beauty, and marvel at the whitish fluff that decorate the reddish main axis of the inflorescence. But little do they know what a complex piece of biological engineering that whitish fluff is when viewed at the macro level. 

As many of the Orang Poa (Grass People) know, the unit of reproduction in grasses is the spikelet. The spikelet contains the florets ("flowers") of the grass, and of course the florets (like any flower) contain the stamens (male) and pistils (female). 

In the case of S. scoparium, the spikelets form a complex little unit with many parts. 

Pairs of spikelets run along the axis of the raceme of the inflorescence. Each pair is composed of 2 spikelets (see image below).

The smaller spikelet in the pair sits on top of a pedicel, and is rudimentary and hairy. The larger and fertile spikelet is sessile, with two structures called glumes completely covering the two florets inside. One of the florets is sterile, while the fertile floret has a long bent awn that extends from its central nerve and extends out of the glumes.  You can see the bent awn of the fertile floret in the image below, but the rest of the floret is hidden inside the enclosing glumes.

The unit of dispersal is composed of the two spikelets, in addition to a short segment of the raceme axis. An abscission layer below the axis segment allows the seed-carrying unit to disarticulate from the raceme, and the hairs on the rudimentary spikelet and the axis segment allow it to be carried by the wind for very short distances (typically less than 2 meters from the mother plant).

As I watched, one of the "seeds" floated onto the ground and I took pics of it before the wind could blow it away (see image above). 

(B) is the bent awn of the fertile floret that is being hidden between the enclosing glumes, and (A) is the rudimentary spikelet which sits on a pedicel. The axis segment that connected the unit to the next spikelet pair is labeled (C), and you can see at the top where it was detached from the raceme.

So the next time you see seedheads of S. scoparium, just remember how such simple looking structures actually are composed of wonderfully intricate parts! 

 

Who says I'm not ornamental? Native Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem)

A lot of times our native grasses get the short shrift even from gardeners, who tend to want the pricey ornamental grass cultivars sold by stores.

But I found this Schizachyrium scoparium on a roadside filled with Little Bluestem, and look at it now. The late afternoon sun was shining on it, and I noticed it looked quite red from a side angle, so I took a quick pic using a cellphone (the one with the Leica lens though).

What a beautiful gem, and 100% native and wild type!

Little Bluestem's Mountain Loving (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Note: My 55 mm lens is screwy, so you'll pardon me because the pics here were all taken with a cellphone camera, though it does have a Leica lens.

I have an inordinate fondness for Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem). I think it's a combination of its smaller size, its very distinctive habit, and its really cool reddish coloring when Fall comes along. Plus, the species is a member of the "Four Horsemen" of the Tall Grass Prairies, and you can't get any more native than that.

I also hike a lot, and when I get near the top of moderately tall mountain summits, I sometimes spot colonies of this species rising from the stony outcrops like crimson sentinels. It always gives me a thrill to see them, no matter how many times this happens. It's like seeing an old friend again, one who has endeared itself to your heart.

I encountered Little Bluestem again when I drove (then hiked) up Prospect Mountain, near Lake George in New York State. Colonies of this species were scattered on the summit of the mountain, as well as along the roadway that led up to the summit.

S. scoparium seems to thrive when there is lots of sunlight and bare rocky ground, and both are plentiful up where the air is fresh and the wind is sometimes cold. In this case, about 620 meters above sea level, well below the tree line, but sunny enough to make it very happy.

Up here the grass rose from the surrounding stone, their straight reddish forms quite arresting. One particularly large (and flowery) individual stood next to a boulder, the sinuous curves of part of Lake George glittering behind it.

I still remember seeing this species in June 2019 while hiking the Summit Trail in Jenny Jump Forest in NJ. I did not know the name of the grass then (how things have changed in such a short time!), but I still marveled at the sight of the reddish hued straight grass at the summit of Jenny Jump.

So the next time you hike up one of the mountains in the eastern part of the USA, keep a look out for one of these native beauties!

Native grasses during a hike at the Environmental Education Center at Lord Stirling Park (Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge)

Inflorescence of Andropogon gerardii

Little did I know when we started our hike at the Environmental Education Center (EEC) at Lord Stirling Park that I would finally encounter and identify one of my more sought after species, one of the members of the legendary "Four Horsemen" of the Tall Grass Prairies. These 4 native grasses (Andropogon gerardii/Big Bluestem, Panicum virgatum/Swirchgrass, Sorghatrum nutans/Indiangrass, and Schizachyrium scoparium/Little Bluestem) dominated vast swathes of America before giving way to the spread of another type of grassland with the introduction of corn. 

I was not expecting much because the EEC is located in the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, a remnant of the Wisconsin Glacier, which retreated around 11,000 years ago to form the New Jersey Wetlands. So I thought I would see lots of marshy areas, wilt under the high humidity, and of course be attacked by lots of mosquitoes.

What I did not expect was a very well maintained, and honestly impressive trail system, but that's what I saw. A significant proportion of the path was on wooden boardwalks, which was impressive, and the trails were wide enough that you didn't have to touch vegetation on either side - always a recipe for picking up ticks. It even had a garden near the EEC building, with labeled plants, though not many of the plants were flowering at the time we went there.

Carpet of Microstegium vimineum

We found a trail map of the area and decided that we would move from trail to trail along the periphery of the place, thus maximizing our hiking time. We first traveled counter clockwise along the yellow trail towards Lenape Meadow, and as usual I saw lots of Microstegium vimineum (Stiltgrass) covering the sides of the path, as well as sometimes extending deeper into canopy. This invasive grass is the bane of forest managers, and I had already grown used to encountering it every time I entered some forested area. You can identify stilt grass by the bamboo-like leaves as well as the silvery stripe that runs along the upper leaf surface.

Close up of leaves of Microstegium vimineum

Fortunately however, we did encounter some other plants along the way, including a quite striking plant with dark red flowers, which I later identified as Lobelia cardinalis.

Lobelia cardinalis

We also saw lots of cattails (Typha species) as we crossed the Boondocks Boardwalk along the north end of Lord Stirling Park. The sight of so many cattails was interesting and unexpected because this plant is being pushed aside by a grass called Phragmites australis in most places.. The reason for its health in the area seems to be because the park managers are actively controlling populations of the invasive grass.

Cattail

But what excited me at first was the sight of clumps of S. scoparium (Little Bluestem) at Lenape Meadow.

A clump of S. scoparium at Lenape Meadow (center of pic)

I've always been fond of this species ever since I saw fields of it in New Hampshire, with the distinctive red flowerheads arrowing stright up into the air. Of course, it's only early August, so the S. scoparium I saw at Lenape Meadow still had not gained their full beauty.

S. scoparium in New Hampshire

However, my delight at the discovery of my old friend Little Bluestem was nothing to the amazement that I experienced when we passed Alexander Meadow at the extreme southwest of the park. There I saw a field of grass that almost made my jaw drop. Rising more than 3 meters into the air were flowerheads that looked like turkey feet waving in the air. I had come upon my first field of A. gerardii (Big Bluestem)!!!!

I believe I have never encountered this species before, ever since I started learning more about grasses last year.  The distinctive turkey feet flowerheads and towering height made them almost instantly recognizable, and we passed through the meadow surrounded by these impressive grasses.

A. gerardii inflorescence, looking like turkey feet

I took a few macroshots of the spikelets, which were tightly appressed and had a few dangling yellow or red anthers, although it was obvious that full anthesis had not yet started for many flowerheads.

I also saw quite a number of P. virgatum (Switchgrass) in the field, their wispy flowerheads forming almost a mist-like cloud above the grasses. This species is the 3rd member of the Four Horsemen of the Tall Grass Prairie present in the park, and I had a feeling the 4th and final member (Sorghastrum nutans) might also be somewhere there, although I did not have time to explore the place further.

P.virgatum flowerheads

In the end, it was a very nice and productive hike, although we did sweat throughout the experience, and were bitten by quite a few mosquitoes. 

Here come the C4s! Warm season grasses start flowering

Spikelets of Schizachyrium scoparium

I noticed that two of the grasses I care for at home have started to flower, and both are warm season grasses.

A warm season grass of course refers to a species which reaches its optimal growing rate when the season temperatures are high, normally during mid-Summer. Cold season grasses on the other hand tend to grow fast and flower earlier in the season.

Interestingly enough, the difference between these two groups lies in the way they photosynthesize.

Warm season grasses have C4 photosynthesis, wherein the first carbon compound produced during the process has 4 carbons, whereas cool season grasses have C3 photosynthesis, in which a 3-carbon compound is the initial product.

C4 grasses are much more productive in photosynthesis during hot and dry conditions. So just when C3 cool season grasses start to slow down because of the heat of summer, C4 grasses start revving up their engines.

Flowering spike of Schizachyrium scoparium

Two warm season grasses I have are Panicum virgatum 'Northwind', which I purchased a couple months back, and a specimen of  Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem), which is native to this area, and which I had obtained last year.

I've always liked S. scoparium, ever since I saw fields of this species on a trip to New Hampshire, and its inflorescence is quite distinctive and beautiful to my eyes.

Spikelets of Panicum virgatum 'Northwind';

The P. virgatum cultivar has also become a favorite of mine, with its erect and tight form and blue green leaves. Its spikelets are quite tiny, and when I photographed them a few days back, they had yet to mature. But I am already looking forward with anticipation to the full panicles maturing, their branches opening up like some botanical umbrella.

Go, go C4s! ;-)

Two Native grasses in Bear Mountain NY

Schizachyrium scoparium

I hiked Bear Mountain in New York State in October 2019, and the most surprising discovery I made was the presence of quite a few colonies of Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).

Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem

The species was not present within the canopy covering of the surrounding trees, but was instead found in rocky and exposed portions of the trail (blue, then white marks), which started out from near the Bear Mountain Inn and ended in the Perkins Memorial Tower.

Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem

Although most of the colonies were small and had only a single or a few specimens, there were occasional areas where S. scoparium formed a larger field. One was located bear the top end of the trail, above a rocky outcrop with a very distinctive boulder sitting precariously on its surface.

Panicum virgatum - Switch Grass

At the very top of Bear Mountain, where the impressive Perkins Memorial Tower loomed above the crowds, Little Bluestem gave way to another tallgrass prairie species, which I tentatively identified as Panicum virgatum (switchgrass).

Panicum virgatum - Switch Grass

This species was slightly taller than Little Bluestem, with open airy panicles. I did not have my macro lens with me, but I did manage to take in situ pics of the panicles, which had spikelets containing a single floret, and unequal sized glumes.

Both S. scoparium and P. virgatum were major components of  the tallgrass prairies that used to dominate the American landscape, and it was interesting to see healthy populations of these species still present in numbers here in the East Coast.

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) Heaven in New Hampshire

I've always had a soft spot for Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem). Not only is this species quite handsome (with some cultivars making the transition to spectacularly beautiful), but this was one of the major components of the tall grass prairies that used to dominate the American landscape, before settlers originally from Europe arrived and converted the rich lands to another type of grassland (maize fields).

Little Bluestem on roadway

The first time I encountered Schizachyrium scoparium was in the White Sands Monument in New Mexico, where I stumbled on individual specimens. But on a trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire, I finally saw entire fields of the grass.

Little Bluestem creating carpet along side of road

Schizachyrium scoparium dominated many of the roadsides in the area, the straight and tall grass forming red monoculture carpets on the sides of highways and local streets.

Little Bluestem carpet a scenic view lot

This was very evident along route 302 from the town of Caroll to Crawford Notch State Park, and even in the islands and sides of Interstate 93. Schizachyrium scoparium was also present along Main Street of the town of Lincoln, NH, especially near the entranceway to Interstate 93.

I even found S.scoparium lining the steel barriers along a railroad track!

Little Bluestem along railroad tracks

It was obvious that masses of the grass along the roadside were regularly mowed. Some of the mowed grass had  a reddish tinge to them, and in some areas single blades of Little Bluestem that had been missed by the mower rose into the roadway like lonely sentinels.

Unmowed Little Bluestem along Main Street

The species was noticeably absent in deep forest, as well as in higher elevation areas, although I found a few specimens slightly into the UNH Trail along State Route 122, east of Lincoln.

Red culm of Little Bluestem

Little Bluestem is also fairly easy to identify. It stands up to around 1 meter tall, with thin erect blades and reddish culms (at least in the Autumn).

Ligule of Little Bluestem

The ligule is membranous, and the fluffy white seed heads that rise in zip zag fashion is another identifier of the species.

Seedheads of Little Bluestem

The anthers and feathery stigmas are purplish in color and quite tiny, perhaps at most 2 mm in length. I had a great time taking in situ macro shots of the beautiful spikelets,with the sharp pointed glumes.

Stigma and Anthers of Little Bluestem

All in all, I had a great time documenting the presence of this species in the White Mountains area of New Hampshire, and I noticed that Little Bluestem was still prevalent as you made your way south along Interstate 93 and other highways, with remnants showing up in Connecticut as well.

It is a handsome species, and I can only imagine with longing what immense fields of this and other tallgrass prairies plants must have looked like before the coming of the Empire of Maize ;-)

Little Bluestem on side of road

Poa Hunting at Tent Rocks and Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

Bouteloua gracilis at Bandelier

There were quite a few interesting grass species at the nearby Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument and Bandelier National Monument.

Bromus tectorum at Bandelier

In addition to the native species, there were a number of colonies of the invasive cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), which sometimes coated hillsides with their dry golden-colored forms.

Bromus tectorum at Tent Rocks

Cheatgrass has become a scourge in the Northwestern states, destroying sagebrush ecosystems due to its propensity to cause more frequent and hotter burning fires.

Bromus tectorum at Tent Rocks

Another ubiquitous species was Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis), whose comb-like inflorescence were quite distinctive and rather cute as they waved in the slight breeze.

Bromus tectorum at Bandelier

Blue grama is the state grass of New Mexico, and it is also the most valuable forage grass in the state. Native Americans are fond of Blue grama as well, and make bread from the seeds, which they grind up to make the flour.

Schizachyrium scoparium at Bandelier

In Bandelier, I also chanced upon single specimens of Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), their straight rigid forms quite distinctive among the other vegetation.

Bouteloua gracilis at Bandelier

All in all, I enjoyed Poa Hunting at the two national monuments, and I was especially interested in my introduction to Blue grama grass.