Onespike oatgrass facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Onespike oatgrass
The short stature of this bunchgrass, usually less than 15 cm tall, and the very hairy leaf sheaths (technically hirsute because the straight hairs diverge perpendicular to the surface of the leaf sheath) are diagnostic of this species.
Scientific classification
Genus:	Danthonia
Species:	unispicata

Danthonia unispicata is a type of grass. Its common names are onespike oatgrass or onespike danthonia. It belongs to the Poaceae family, which is the scientific name for grasses. This plant is found in western North America.

It is sometimes thought of as a kind of Danthonia californica, which it looks very similar to.

What Onespike Oatgrass Looks Like

This grass is a perennial bunchgrass. This means it lives for more than two years and grows in clumps. The plant usually grows between 10 and 30 centimeters (about 4 to 12 inches) tall.

Its leaves are very hairy and often rolled up. The plant's flower part, called an inflorescence, usually has just one spikelet. Sometimes, it can have up to four spikelets. A spikelet is a small cluster of flowers found on grasses.

Where Onespike Oatgrass Grows

Onespike oatgrass is native to western North America. This means it naturally grows there. You can find it in many different places. It grows in grasslands and open areas within mountain forests.