Gypsum Grama
Scientific Name: Bouteloua breviseta Vasey
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Usda Symbol | BOBR |
| Group | Monocot |
| Life Cycle | Perennial |
| Growth Habits | Graminoid |
| Native Locations | BOBR |
Plant Guide
Use a soil moisture meter to monitor the soil moisture where Gypsum Grama is planted.
Fact Sheet
Alternate Names
Gypsum grama
Uses
Cattle, horses, sheep, and goats graze Chino grama, Sometimes limited amounts are harvested for hay, It is an important conservation grass, because it is adapted to sites on which few other species will grow, , Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Gypsum Grama.
Status
Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status, such as, state noxious status and wetland indicator values.
Description
Grass Family (Poaceae). Chino grama is a native, warm-season, perennial bunch grass. The height is between 8 and 12 inches. The leaf blade is usually flat, narrow, 1 to 3 inches long, and curls during prolonged dry periods and at maturity. The leaf sheath is rounded, smooth, and overlapping about two-thirds as long as the internodes. The ligule is hairy and the stem is solid. The seedhead has 2 spikes resembling a chicken's comb on top of each stalk. From Hitchcock (1950) @ plants.usda.gov Distribution: For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.
Management
This grass dies if overgrazed. It requires a full growing season deferment every 2 to 3 years for maximum production.
Establishment
It reproduces largely from auxillary buds at basal nodes. Some new plants are established from seed. When growth starts in the late spring or early summer, most of old growth greens up, because this grass stores nutrients in stems as well as in roots. It grows in nearly pure stands on gypsum sands and highly calcareous clay loam soils. Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin) Please contact your local NRCS Field Office.
Plant Traits
Growth Requirements
| Temperature, Minimum (°F) | -3 |
|---|---|
| Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils | No |
| Adapted to Fine Textured Soils | No |
| Adapted to Medium Textured Soils | Yes |
| Anaerobic Tolerance | None |
| CaCO3 Tolerance | Low |
| Cold Stratification Required | No |
| Drought Tolerance | High |
| Fertility Requirement | Low |
| Fire Tolerance | High |
| Frost Free Days, Minimum | 160 |
| Hedge Tolerance | None |
| Moisture Use | Low |
| pH, Maximum | 7.9 |
| pH, Minimum | 5.5 |
| Precipitation, Maximum | 40 |
| Precipitation, Minimum | 12 |
| Root Depth, Minimum (inches) | 12 |
| Salinity Tolerance | None |
| Shade Tolerance | Intolerant |
Morphology/Physiology
| After Harvest Regrowth Rate | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Toxicity | None |
| Shape and Orientation | Erect |
| Nitrogen Fixation | None |
| Resprout Ability | No |
| Active Growth Period | Summer and Fall |
| Bloat | None |
| C:N Ratio | Medium |
| Coppice Potential | No |
| Fall Conspicuous | No |
| Fire Resistant | No |
| Flower Color | White |
| Flower Conspicuous | No |
| Foliage Color | Green |
| Foliage Porosity Summer | Porous |
| Foliage Texture | Medium |
| Low Growing Grass | No |
| Lifespan | Moderate |
| Leaf Retention | No |
| Known Allelopath | No |
| Height, Mature (feet) | 2.5 |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Growth Form | Rhizomatous |
| Fruit/Seed Conspicuous | No |
| Fruit/Seed Color | Brown |
| Foliage Porosity Winter | Porous |
Reproduction
| Vegetative Spread Rate | Slow |
|---|---|
| Small Grain | No |
| Seedling Vigor | Medium |
| Seed Spread Rate | Slow |
| Seed per Pound | 400000 |
| Fruit/Seed Persistence | No |
| Propagated by Tubers | No |
| Propagated by Sprigs | No |
| Propagated by Sod | No |
| Propagated by Seed | Yes |
| Propagated by Corm | No |
| Propagated by Container | No |
| Propagated by Bulb | No |
| Propagated by Bare Root | No |
| Fruit/Seed Period End | Fall |
| Fruit/Seed Period Begin | Summer |
| Fruit/Seed Abundance | High |
| Commercial Availability | No Known Source |
| Bloom Period | Mid Summer |
| Propagated by Cuttings | No |
Suitability/Use
| Veneer Product | No |
|---|---|
| Pulpwood Product | No |
| Protein Potential | Medium |
| Post Product | No |
| Palatable Human | No |
| Palatable Graze Animal | High |
| Palatable Browse Animal | High |
| Nursery Stock Product | No |
| Naval Store Product | No |
| Lumber Product | No |
| Fodder Product | Yes |
| Christmas Tree Product | No |
| Berry/Nut/Seed Product | No |