Description
Bison grass (scientific name: Buchloe dactyloides) is native to western North America. The plant is slender, 5-25 cm tall. The leaf sheaths are sparsely pilose; the tongue is short and pilose; the leaf blades are linear, rough, 3-10 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, sparsely white pilose on both sides. The male inflorescence has 2-3 racemeal spikes, 5-15 mm long, 5 mm wide, and grass yellow; the female inflorescences are often head-shaped, 6-9 mm long and 3-4 mm wide. Perennial, less than 20 cm tall. The leaves are gray-green, curly. The stolons extend widely and form a thick, dense turf.
Early immigrants used to construct residences. Bison grass is an important year-round forage plant and is also used in low-maintenance areas, such as highways, airport runways, golf courses and other secondary high grass areas.
