Sporobolus wrightii

Sporobolus wrightii is a species of grass known by the common names big sacaton[5] and giant sacaton. It is native to the western United States[1] and northern and central Mexico.[6]

Sporobolus wrightii

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Sporobolus
Species:
S. wrightii
Binomial name
Sporobolus wrightii
Synonyms[3][4]

Sporobolus airoides var. wrightii (Munro ex Scribn.) Gould

Description

This species is a perennial bunchgrass with thick stems that can reach 2.5 metres tall. The leaves are 20 to 70 centimetres long. The panicle is lance-shaped in outline and up to 60 centimetres long. It contains purplish or greenish spikelets.[4][6]

Ecology

This plant grows in plains and desert grassland, shrubsteppe, and desert shrubland habitat. It may occur in desert wetland habitat types such as desert marshes, seasonal lakes, and floodplains. In this kind of habitat it is an important species for preventing erosion and slowing runoff by trapping sediments. It may be a common to prominent or dominant species. It dominates some grasslands in its native range, alongside other common grasses. This type of grassland has been reduced to a fraction of its pristine range by forces such as overgrazing and the channelization of water.[3]

This grass provides a good forage for livestock, producing large amounts of green matter. It is an important species for grazers on grasslands in parts of Arizona. It is also valuable for wildlife.[3]

References
  1. "Sporobolus wrightii - Munro ex Scribn. Wright's Dropseed". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
  2. "Sporobolus wrightii". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2014-10-10.
  3. Esser, Lora L. 1995. Sporobolus wrightii. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory
  4. Sporobolus wrightii. Jepson Manual Treatment.
  5. "Sporobolus wrightii". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  6. Sporobolus wrightii. Grass Manual Treatment.
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