Welcome to Catnapin's

Grass Gallery

Daisy-like and Balls

I never realized how many grasses there were.  Each has its own beauty and grace.  All are amazingly difficult to photograph in the wild and even more difficult identify at home.

subfamily Panicoideae

Sorghum Sudan Sorghum bicolor (or commonly called Sorghum sudanense)

Seed head 6-12" tall.  Long thin leaves spiral up a stiff cane that can grow over 6 feet tall.  Cultivated for cow fodder.

Photo taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2004

(Introduced from Africa)

subfamily Panicoideae

Johnsongrass Sorghum halepense

Flower / seed tuft about 8" long.  Grass grows 6 feet tall.

Photo taken in Coleman County, Texas, May 2004

(Introduced from Europe)

subfamily Panicoideae

Grassbur (Long-spine Sandbur) Cenchrus incertus

Plant shown about 12" wide.  Each stickers are about 1/2" wide in a cluster of about 1 1/2" long.

Photo taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2004

(Native of Texas)

subfamily Eragrostoideae

Hooded Windmillgrass Chloris cucullata

The red seed tuft is about 2" wide and turns yellow as it matures.  Grass is very similar to the Bermuda in yards except that the tuft is thicker.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2004

(Native of Texas)

subfamily Eragrostoideae

Texas Grama Bouteloua rigidiseta

Seed stem 4"- 6" long on spike 12"-18" long.  Grass about 6" tall at base only.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July 2004

(Native of Texas)

subfamily Eragrostoideae

Sideoats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula

Seed stem about 8" long.  Grass about 6" tall at base only.

Photo taken in Taylor County, Texas, August 2004

(Native of Texas)

Poaceae (Gramineae) - True Grass family

likely   Scribner's Rosettegrass (Scribner's Panicgrass) Dichanthelium oligosanthes subsp. scribnerianum

Spikelets are smaller and wider spaced.  Shorter and wider leaves.  Spot is more prominent.

Photos taken in Van Zandt County, Texas, November 2006

(Native to all of Texas, Taylor, Van Zandt, Smith)

Flowers in a wide spikelet formation.  Plant has two distinct blooming periods.  #1 May-July has a conspicuous head growing out of the end of the grass stem (clum).  #2 June-September head grows from the leaf axis; these flowers remain closed and are self pollinated.  Leaves are smooth on top and hairy below.  Leaf sheath can be smooth or hairy with longer hairs having warty bases.  The base of each spikelet has orange or purple spot.  Nutritious food for cattle.

Similar Species

similar   Heller's Rosettegrass (Few-flowered Panicgrass) Dichanthelium oligosanthes subsp. oligosanthes

Larger spikelets.  Leafs are slightly rolled.

(Native of east and central Texas, Taylor, Van Zandt, Smith)

Needle-leaf Rosette Grass Dichanthelium aciculare

(Native of east Texas, Van Zandt, not Smith)

Woolly Rosettegrass (Tapered Rosette Grass) Dichanthelium acuminatum var. acuminatum

(Native of most of Texas, Taylor, Van Zandt, Smith)

Lindheimer Rosettegrass Dichanthelium acuminatum var. lindheimeri

(Native of east and central Texas, Taylor, Van Zandt, Smith)

Slimleaf Rosettegrass Dichanthelium linearifolium

(Native of east and central Texas, Smith)

Roundseed Rosettegrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon

(Native of Texas, except panhandle, Taylor, Van Zandt, Smith)

subfamily ?

? Common Name **zg 3** Scientific Name

Flower / seed tuft about 1/2" tall.  Grass about 6" tall.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2004

(Native ?)

Hunting Similar Species

possibly one of the Grama

subfamily ?

? Common Name **zg 6** Scientific Name

Each head about 1/2" long with tufts 1-2" long.  Grass about 6" tall.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2004

(Native ?)

Hunting Similar Species

heads similar to Inland Seaoats

subfamily ?

? Common Name **zg 8** Scientific Name

Seed stalk about 24" tall.  Individual heads are about 1/2" long on tufts of about 6" long.  Short grass at base.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2004

(Native ?)

subfamily Poaceae

? Common Name **zg 4** Scientific Name

Seed balls about 1/8" long.  Grass stalk shown about 10" long.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May - June 2004

(Native ?)

Hunting Similar Species

possibly  Witchgrass Panicum capillare

subfamily ?

? Common Name **zg 7** Scientific Name

Tuft 8" around and 18" high with seed heads at the end of thin stalks.  Grass about 8" tall.  Similar tufts as Witchgrass but more spread out.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2004

(Native ?)

Hunting Similar Species

possibly  Ear Muhly Muhlenbergia arenacea

subfamily ?

? Common Name **zg 9** Scientific Name

Each tuft 3-4" long with tiny orange flowers.  Grass about 24" tall.  Did not get photo of leaves at base.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2004

(Native ?)

subfamily ?

? Common Name **zg 5** Scientific Name

Tuft 6-12" long.  Grass about 12-18" tall.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2004

(Native ?)

subfamily ?

? Common Name **zg 2** Scientific Name

Seed head about 4" long.  Grass clump about 8" wide.

Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2004

(Native ?)

Email    wildflowers"at"catnapin.com

to reduce spam, change "at" to @

please be specific