Andropogon virginicus
Andropogon virginicus
Andropogon virginicus (English common name broomsedge bluestem to German as " blaustängelige Besensegge ") is a perennial sweet grass of North American prairies. Other names are Popotillo, whiskey grass, and yellow bluestem. Some botanists consider glomeratus A. and A. virginicus than one species present, but they are officially listed as different species, since they are to be distinguished morphologically good ( morphospecies ).
Description
The Horst A. virginicus grass is native to North America. Its growth period starts from an average daily temperature of about 16 ° C. The slim and upright stalks are up to 1.2 m high. The flattened leaf sheaths are hairy. The upper part of the stems is nearly terete, while lower portions are slightly flattened and keeled. The ligule ( ligule ) is fine and membranous. The leaf blade measures 0.7 to 1.25 cm in width and is long up to 24 cm; its surface feels distinctly rough.
The inflorescence is a panicle with two to four grapes, which are about 2.5 cm long. The basal branches of the panicle are enclosed in an inflated, yellow-brown spathe, which is at least as long as the spikelet. The upper lemma of the seated spikelet has a straight, about 13 mm long awn; the stalked spikelets missing. The seeds mature in 6 weeks to 2 months.
Use
The early nursery of A. virginicus in spring and early summer is accepted by cattle; the more mature parts of the plant are not eaten by the animals and already contain few nutrients. The plant does not require fertilization and tends to spread when grassland is overgrazed or too intense a use is average. In this case, the grass can also become a weed that can be combated by burning or plowing. Diseases or problems of this grass are not known.
For wild animals, it is an important food source dar. Various species of mammals eat the plant with its seed in the winter when no other food is available. In particular, Quails, as the Bobwhite are dependent on the grass.
In the garden design the grass is often used because of the intense orange color that lasts through the winter. It is also reinforced in the erosion control use, especially since it still thrives on poor soil, otherwise have no vegetation. In conservation methods have also been established for planting, but they vary from state to state.