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Form: Bunch grass, in small tufts usually 6 inches across
Height: Up to 1 foot
Seedhead: Slight purplish tinge and up to four inches long
Seeds: Produces from seeds and tillers (shoots); produces significant amounts of seed in most years
Stems: Slender stems with many small seedheads on short upright branches
Leaves: Leaves smooth, deep blue-green, and folded with keel-shaped tips typical of bluegrasses
Roots: Strong fibrous root system; shallow-rooted
Ecology: Common and widespread native grass. One of the first plants to start growth in early spring. Adapted to wide variety of soils. Inhabits thinner, drier soils than bluebunch wheatgrass, often growing on lithosols. Relatively short lived. Leaves wither and go dormant in dry conditions. Because it is shallow-rooted, it must complete growth and seed production early before available soil moisture has been depleted.
Fire tolerance: Generally unharmed by fire
Uses: Seeds used for food by the Native Americans
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