Prairie Grassland Species - Plant Info

Question 1

Card format:
* Common name: Capitalized first letter
* Genus: Capitalized first letter (e.g., Agropyron)
* Species: all lower case (e.g., cristatum)
* Family/Tribe: Capitalized first letter
NOTE: All family names end in aceae and all grass tribe names end in eae.
* Origin: native, introduced
* Longevity: annual, biennial, perennial
* Root structure: bunch, rhizomes, stolons, taproot, suckers
* Response to Herbivory/Browsing: decreaser, increaser, invader, na
* Forage value for cattle: excellent, good, fair, poor, worthless, poisonous
*Forage value for “wildlife”: excellent, good, fair, poor, worthless, poisonous

Answer 1

Card format:
* Common name: Capitalized first letter
* Genus: Capitalized first letter (e.g., Agropyron)
* Species: all lower case (e.g., cristatum)
* Family/Tribe: Capitalized first letter
NOTE: All family names end in aceae and all grass tribe names end in eae.
* Origin: native, introduced
* Longevity: annual, biennial, perennial
* Root structure: bunch, rhizomes, stolons, taproot, suckers
* Response to Herbivory/Browsing: decreaser, increaser, invader, na
* Forage value for cattle: excellent, good, fair, poor, worthless, poisonous
*Forage value for “wildlife”: excellent, good, fair, poor, worthless, poisonous

Question 2

Bouteloua gracilis – Blue grama

boo-tah-LOU-ah gra-SILL-is

Answer 2

Tribe: CYNODONTEAE
Origin: Native
Longevity: Perennial
Root/root-like structure: Bunch
Response to Herb:  Decreaser
Forage value: Good; Good

Question 3

Bouteloua dactyloides – Buffalograss

boo-tah-LOU-ah dak-ty-LO-id-eez

Answer 3

Tribe: CYNODONTEAE
Origin: Native
Longevity: Perennial
Root/root-like structure: Stolons
Response to Herb: Increaser
Forage value: Good; Fair

Question 4

Schizachyrium scoparium - Little bluestem

ski-za-KRY-ee-um sko-PARE-ee-um

Answer 4

Tribe: ANDROPOGONEAE
Origin: Native
Longevity: Perennial
Root/root-like structure: Bunch
Response to Herb: Decreaser
Forage value: Good; Good

Question 5

Pascopyrum smithii - Western wheatgrass

pas-ko-PIE-rum SMITH-ee-eye

Answer 5

Tribe: TRITICEAE
Origin: Native
Longevity: Perennial
Root/root-like structure: Rhizomes
Response to Herb: Decreaser
Forage value: Good; Fair

Question 6

Astragalus mollissimus – Woolly locoweed

as-TRAG-a-lus mol-LIS-im-us

Answer 6

Tribe: FABACEAE
Origin: Native
Longevity: Perennial
Root/root-like structure: Taproot
Response to Herb: Increaser
Forage value: Poisonous; Poisonous

Question 7

Oxytropis lambertii - Lambert crazyweed

ox-ee-TROW-pis lam-BER-tee-eye

Answer 7

Tribe: FABACEAE
Origin: Native
Longevity: Perennial
Root/root-like structure: Taproot
Response to Herb: Increaser
Forage value: Poisonous; Poisonous

Question 8

Artemisia frigida - Fringed sagewort

ar-te-MEEZ-e-a FRIG-id-ah

Answer 8

Tribe: ASTERACEAE
Origin: Native
Longevity: Perennial
Root/root-like structure: Taproot
Response to Herb: Increaser
Forage value: Poor; Good