Redfieldia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Redfieldia |
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|---|---|
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| Blowout grass on a sand dune | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Redfieldia
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| Species: |
flexuosa
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| Synonyms | |
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Graphephorum flexuosum Thurb. ex A. Gray |
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Redfieldia, known as blowout grass, is a special type of grass. It's the only species in its group (called a monotypic genus) within the larger grass family (Poaceae). The only species, Redfieldia flexuosa, grows naturally in sandy areas, especially in places called sandhills, across the western and central United States. These plants often grow in small groups, which helps protect them from the harsh desert winds and conditions.
What Blowout Grass Looks Like
Blowout grass can grow to be about 0.5 to 1 meter (1.5 to 3 feet) tall. Its flowers grow in a loose, open cluster called a panicle. Each tiny flower cluster, known as a spikelet, sits on a thin stalk.
- Each spikelet has between two and six small flowers inside.
- The protective leaves at the base of the spikelet, called glumes, have pointed tips. They are narrower than the main part of the flower, which is called the lemma.
- The lemma has three lines (veins) and fuzzy edges.
- These protective glumes stay on the plant even after it makes seeds.
- Blowout grass spreads underground using long stems called rhizomes. This helps it grow in sandy soil.
Where Blowout Grass Grows
Blowout grass is found in many parts of the western and central United States. It grows in sandy areas, often in places called "blowouts." These are bowl-shaped hollows in sand dunes that are created by wind erosion.
According to the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), you can find blowout grass in thirteen states. These include Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
