Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Aristida longespica var. geniculata
Three awn grass, Three awn, Red three-awn, Slimspike threeawn, False arrow-feather three-awn
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Aristida intermedia, Aristida longispica var. geniculata, Aristida longespica geniculata, Aristida purpurea var. nealleyi

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

  • Magnoliophyta
    • Liliopsida
      • Poales

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

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Monocot, annual

Roots: adventitious, fibrous

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

Inflorescence: panicle

Flowers: perfect; 3 merous; complete; hypogynous ovary position

Fruit: grain

Physiology: autotrophic; C4 C02 fixation

Reproduction:

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Species is distributed on sandy soil, rocky dry open woods, sandy open ground. In northern Illinois it is found on moist, calcareous sand of interdunal flats, most often near Lake Michigan. Species is distributed on sandy soil, especially along railroads and roadsides; rocky prairies; bluff edges; open woods; eroded slopes and especially in hard clayey soil.

ILPIN Notes: Stephens, H.A. 1980. Poisonous Plants of the Central United States. Regent Press of Kansas. Lawrence, KA. 165 pp. Species resembles A. purpurascens, but has annual habit and shorter awns. Versis A. longespica var. ainiculata, this species has a straight central awn. Vs. A. necopina, this species has equal glumes, and the central lemma awn being longer than the 2 laterals. Stephens, H.A. 1980. Poisonous Plants of the Central United States. Regent Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KA. 165 pp. Baskin, J. M., and C. C. Baskin. 1981. Photosynthetic pathways indicated by leaf anatomy in fourteen summer annuals of cedar glades. Photosynthetica 15: 205-209. Distinguishing feature for species is the basal bend of the anter awn. Distinguishing feature for the variety is the: 1) lateral awns at 4-15 mm long; 2) center awn at 10-20 mm long; 3) glumes at 5-9 mm long.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

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

  • Entire State: 6
  • Chicago Area: 5

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