Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Bottlebrush Three-awn - Aristida spiciformis   Elliott
Members of Poaceae:
Members of Aristida with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 5 » Order Cyperales » Family Poaceae
AuthorElliott
DistributionThere is no specimen to verify the report.
Abundance
Habitat
Phenology
Identification
Taxonomic CommentsThe genus Aristida is most notable for the 3 hairlike awns which project from each floret. The central awn is almost always thicker than the other 2 awns. The awns may stand erect, especially during the early flowering period, but in most species eventually are bent parallel to the ground. In some species, only the central awn is bent, while the other 2 remain erect. In some species, all awns are the same length, while in other species the central awn is distinctly longer. The awns have tiny barbs which catch onto hair and fur, and florets will even hitch a ride up the inside of your pants!
Other Common Name(s)
State RankSR
Global RankG4
State Status
US Status
USACE-agcpFAC link
USACE-empFAC link
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