Names
Scientific Name: Pleuraphis mutica
Synonym: Hilaria mutica
Common Names: Tobosagrass
Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Grass
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Clay flats and clay loams, dry mesas and hills
Flower Color: N/A
Flowering Season: May to October
Height: Up to 3 feet
Description: The leafblade of tobosagrass is flat or lightly rolled. Stems twist inward at the top. The spiked seedhead is 1 to 2 inches long. Although this plant is a low seed producer, it spreads from rhizomes.
Special Characteristics
Tobosagrass provides popular forage for cattle and horses. It is able to withstand heavy grazing and trampling.
Classification
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
SOURCES:
Kearney, T. H. and R. H. Peebles. 1960. Arizona Flora. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Magee, Percy. USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Plant Fact Sheet: Tobosagrass (Pleuraphis mutica).
