Big galleta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Big galleta
Scientific classification
Genus:	Hilaria
Species:	rigida
Synonyms
Pleuraphis rigida Thurb.

Hilaria rigida, also known as big galleta, is a type of grass found all over the deserts of California. It grows in clumps and lives for many years. This grass is a monocot, which means it's a plant with one seed leaf. It belongs to the Hilaria group in the grass family (Poaceae).

You can easily spot big galleta even after its seeds have fallen. Its old flower stalks are stiff and wavy, sticking out from the leafy clumps. These stalks look like zigzag wires. Unlike most grasses, big galleta has solid stems, even between the joints. Most grasses have hollow stems.

The clumps of big galleta grass help to hold sand dunes in place. Experts say it's one of the most useful grasses in the desert for animals to eat. Some of these grass clumps can live for more than 100 years!

Where Big Galleta Lives

Big galleta grass grows in many dry places. You can find it in sand dunes, on gentle slopes called bajadas, in scrublands, woodlands, and deserts. It likes dry, open areas with sandy or rocky ground. It can grow in all kinds of soil, but it doesn't do well in clay.

This grass is very good at living in dry places like desert floors. It is the main type of grass in some desert areas. You can find it on flat plains, in sand dunes, and on rocky hillsides. It grows from sea level up to about 1,600 meters (5,200 feet) high. In the Mojave Desert, it grows up to 1,220 meters (4,000 feet).

Big galleta is common in areas with creosote bush scrub and joshua tree woodland. It also likes sandy places, like the Kelso Dunes. In the eastern Mojave Desert, it's more common than its relative, galleta grass (Pleuraphis jamesii).

This grass is native to the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert. It grows in California, Arizona, and parts of northern Mexico, including Sonora. You can also find it in Colorado and Utah, though it's less common there.

What Big Galleta Looks Like

How It Grows

Big galleta is a long-living grass that grows in a bushy, clumpy way. It has rough, upright stems that can reach up to 1 meter (3 feet) tall. It spreads using tough, woody underground stems called rhizomes. This helps it form grayish, hairy, open clumps. As mentioned, these clumps can live for over 100 years.

The grass looks like a bush because it has many branches at its base. New clumps form from new shoots or short rhizomes. A clump of leaves can be about 1 to 1.2 meters (3 to 4 feet) wide. When the seeds are ready, they fall off. But their stalks stay on the plant, sticking out like stiff, wavy wires. This is a great way to identify the plant from far away.

Big galleta can handle dry weather very well. It grows quickly after it rains. It usually has two main growth periods: one after winter rains and another after summer storms. It's even better than many other desert plants at getting water from the soil during dry times.

Roots, Stems, and Leaves

The roots of big galleta are shallow and spread out from the bottom of the plant.

Its stems are stiff, heavy, and rough. They are about 30 to 100 centimeters (12 to 40 inches) long and can be fuzzy or woolly. What's special about these stems is that they are solid, even between the joints. Most other grasses have hollow stems. The stems can grow straight up or lie on the ground. They have joints that are covered with long, sometimes curly hairs.

The leaves are rough and firm. They are fairly wide and almost straight, ranging from grayish to blue-green. Sometimes they have a light, woolly fuzz. Their edges are often rolled upward, and they have curly hairs. The leaves are about 2.5 to 6.4 centimeters (1.0 to 2.5 inches) long. They grow from the base of the plant or along the upright stems that hold the seeds.

Flowers and Seeds

The inflorescence (the part that holds the flowers and seeds) looks like a hairy or brush-like spike. These spikes grow in groups of three and are about 5 to 7.6 centimeters (2 to 3 inches) long. This grass doesn't produce many good seeds. It mostly spreads by growing new shoots or sometimes by its underground stems. The stalk that holds the seeds stays on the plant even after the seeds drop. It sticks out of the leaf clump like stiff, wavy wires.

Big galleta can bloom at different times of the year. Some say it blooms in December and January. Others say May to June in the Mojave Desert, or February through June. This difference might be because we don't know much about how its seeds sprout.

New plants rarely grow from seeds. The seed head is a spike with seeds and a lot of dry, leafy parts called chaff. The spikes are about 3.8 to 10 centimeters (1.5 to 4.0 inches) long.

Big Galleta's Role in Nature

The clumpy shape of big galleta grass helps it hold loose sand in place. This is very important when it grows in desert dunes. It also acts as a "nurse plant" for other young plants. For example, it helps seedlings of cholla and barrel cactus grow. In return, the spiny cacti help protect the grass from animals that might want to eat it. Elk and waterfowl do not eat big galleta.

Other plants that often grow near big galleta include Larrea tridentata (creosote bush), Ambrosia dumosa (white bursage), Coleogyne ramosissima (blackbrush), Yucca brevifolia (joshua trees), and different types of Yucca.

Why Big Galleta Is Important

Big galleta is often eaten by animals and is a good food source for sheep and cattle. Botanist Philip A. Munz said it's "one of the most valuable forage grasses of the desert." After animals graze on it, the grass grows back quickly if it rains. Its rough texture and clumpy shape also help protect it from being trampled by animals.

This grass is also used to stop erosion (when soil is washed or blown away). It is planted in areas where people want to bring back native plants.