Natural History

Indian Grass

Classification
Kingdom Plantae
Division Magnoliophyta
Class Liliopsida
Order Cyperales
Family Poaceae (grass family)
Genus species - Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash

Etymology
Sorghastrum: Greek meaning "a poor imitation of sorghum" for its resemblance to sorghum genus;
nutans means nodding or drooping, usually the flowers

Stem
Erect, hollow, 3 to 7 feet tall, nodes are fuzzy pubescent.

Leaves
Flat, 2 to 24 inches long, 0.2 to 0.5 inch wide
Pointed, tapers to a narrow base
Very rough
Often pale green in color
Prominent midrib near the base.
Prominent claw-like lobes or "rabbit-ears" at the point where the leaf blade attaches to the stem.

Inflorescence
Narrow, oblong panicles, 6 to 12 inches long
Large, dense and bronze-yellow.  
Spikelets droop, are yellowish to reddish brown and covered with reddish brown hairs toward the base.
(panicle = loosely branching cluster of flowers)

Indian grass.(Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated
flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 1: 120.)

Flowers
Blooms August to September
Individual flowers are in pairs. 

Seeds
Reproduce from rhizomes and seeds.
Plume-like seed heads turn a chestnut brown, and later turn gray.

Habitat
Found on open prairies, bottomlands, and open woods, in deep, moist soils.
This grass is fairly tolerant to drought conditions, leading it to invade disturbed areas.

Did you know…

Indian grass is very nutritious and is readily consumed by livestock.