Hopia facts for kids

Hopia obtusa is a type of grass that many people call vine mesquite. For a long time, scientists knew this plant as Panicum obtusum. But recently, new studies using advanced tools like DNA analysis showed that it was different enough to get its very own group, called a genus. So now, it's officially named Hopia obtusa, and it's the only species in the Hopia genus!

What Hopia obtusa Looks Like

Hopia obtusa is a grass that lives for many years. Its stems can grow from about 20 to 80 centimeters tall. This grass has long roots that spread out underground, or just below the surface. These roots have fuzzy, swollen parts called nodes.

The main stems often grow in small, bluish-green clumps. They can stand straight up or lie down a bit. The lower parts of the stems are usually hairy, but the upper parts are smooth. The leaves are about 3 to 26 centimeters long and 2 to 7 millimeters wide. They often point upwards and can feel a bit rough on the edges.

The grass also has flower clusters called panicles. These are about 5 to 15 centimeters long and look like narrow spikes. Each panicle has a few branches that hold the tiny flowers. The flowers themselves are small, about 2.8 to 4.4 millimeters long, and have a smooth, rounded shape. You can usually see this grass flowering from May all the way through October.

Where Hopia obtusa Lives and Grows

Hopia obtusa likes to grow in places where the ground gets wet sometimes, like sandy or gravelly areas. You can often find it along stream banks, in ditches, next to roads, or in wet pastures and open fields.

This grass is found in the southwestern parts of the United States and stretches down into central Mexico. It's also special because it's a "larval host" for the dotted roadside skipper. This means the caterpillars (larvae) of this butterfly eat Hopia obtusa as their main food source!