Names
Scientific Name: Tridens muticus
Synonym:
Common Names: Slim tridens, slim fluffgrass
Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Grass
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert grasslands, dry plains, gravelly slopes, rocky hills
Flower Color: N/A
Flowering Season: April to October
Height: 8 to 12 inches
Description: Slim tridens is a warm-season grass that grows in narrow bunches 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Its narrow leaf blade is rolled giving it a needle-like appearance. Sometimes the leaves are sparsely covered with fine hairs. Seedheads are dense and pale purple.
Special Characteristics
Eaten widely by animals including mule deer and javelina. Seeds are eaten by birds and rodents. Though moderately nutritious, its limited abundance keeps it from being a significant source of forage.
Classification
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
SOURCES:
Sullivan, Janet. 1992. Tridens muticus. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Magee, Percy. Tridens mutinous. USDA NRCS/National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA. Retrieved from: plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_trmu.pdf
