About Andropogon gyrans Ashe
Andropogon gyrans Ashe is a warm-season perennial bunch grass. This species grows to a height of 2.5 to 3 feet, and its flowers typically bloom from August to October. The culms of Andropogon gyrans often have glaucous internodes, and most of its branches are erect and straight. Its leaf sheaths are smooth, and its ligules measure 0.3 to 1.5 millimeters; ligules are occasionally adorned with cilia that reach up to 0.7 millimeters in length. Leaf blades range from 6 to 48 centimeters in length and 0.8 to 5 millimeters in width, and their pubescence varies from glabrous to densely covered in spreading hairs. Each culm of Andropogon gyrans typically produces 2 to 31 units, and each peduncle bears 2 to 5 rames. Within each internode of the rames, pubescence density increases toward the distal end. The keels of the lower glumes are scabrous only beyond their midlength, and the awns measure between 8 and 24 millimeters. Anthers are single, and may be yellow or purple in color. Pedicellate spikelets are either vestigial or absent entirely. This species is distributed across the United States from the east coast west to Texas, with northernmost populations located in Pennsylvania and Illinois. Ecologically, Andropogon gyrans is commonly grazed by cattle, and it can serve as a minor source of food and cover for birds.
