Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Buchloe dactyloides
Buffalo grass
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Sesleria dactyloides

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

  • Magnoliophyta
    • Liliopsida

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Monocot, perennial

Roots: adventitious, stolons

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Parallel leaf venation; awl-shaped leaf shape

Inflorescence: spike

Flowers: unisexual, dioecious; 3 merous; complete; hypogynous ovary position

Fruit: grain

Physiology: autotrophic; C4 C02 fixation

Reproduction: sexual, vegetative

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat:

ILPIN Notes: Early European immigrants on Great Plains used sod of this species for house building. Apparently both native and introduced populations occur in Illinois. Jones (1958) considered the Peoria County population native. Swink and Wilhelm (1979) treat the Chicago area populations as introductions from the western states. Jones, G. N. 1958. Buchloe dactyloides in Illinois. Rhodora 60: 259-260. Fell, E. W. 1962. Western Plains plants in northern Illinois. Rhodora 64: 354-356. This species and Bouteloua gracilis show the highest drought resistance of all native American grasses. Before its widespread destruction, this grass was important in holding soils against wind erosion.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators: wind
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation: No

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State:
  • Chicago Area:

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