Poverty oatgrass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Poverty oatgrass |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Danthonia
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| Species: |
spicata
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| Synonyms | |
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Danthonia thermalis |
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Danthonia spicata, often called poverty oatgrass or just poverty grass, is a type of grass. This plant grows naturally in North America. You can find it all over Canada and the United States, and it even grows into northern Mexico. It's a very common plant in many places.
Contents
What is Poverty Oatgrass?
Poverty oatgrass is a perennial bunchgrass. This means it lives for more than two years and grows in clumps or tufts. It doesn't have underground stems (rhizomes) or above-ground stems (stolons) that spread out.
How Does It Look?
This grass can look different depending on where it grows. It can be anywhere from about 7 to 100 centimeters (about 3 to 39 inches) tall. The plant usually forms a thick clump of leaves right at the ground.
Its leaves often become curly as they dry out. However, if the plant grows in a shady and wet spot, its leaves might not curl.
Flowers and Seeds
The plant's flowers grow on a narrow stalk called a panicle. This stalk can have up to 18 small flower clusters, called spikelets. These spikelets have twisted, hairy parts called awns.
Interestingly, some of its flowers never open. These are called cleistogamous florets. They are found near the leaves and also within the panicles. This grass is very good at storing its seeds. It creates a long-lasting soil seed bank, where seeds can stay in the soil for many decades. They wait there until the right conditions make them sprout.
Where Does Poverty Oatgrass Grow?
Poverty oatgrass can grow in many different places. You can find it in various forests and grasslands. It gets its common name, "poverty grass," because it can easily grow in poor, dry, and rocky soils. It doesn't need rich soil to survive.
A Pioneer Plant
When a habitat is disturbed, like after a wildfire, the seeds of poverty oatgrass that have been buried in the soil for a long time start to sprout. This makes it a pioneer species. A pioneer species is one of the first plants to grow in an area that has recently been cleared or changed.
As other plant species start to move into the area, poverty oatgrass becomes less common. It's like it helps prepare the land for other plants to grow.
Fire and Habitats
This grass is a common plant in some ecosystems that have frequent fires. For example, it grows well in jack pine (Pinus banksiana) barrens. These areas are often maintained by a natural fire regime, meaning fires happen regularly.
