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Wind Cave National ParkFalse Gromwell Seedling
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Wind Cave National Park
Seed Study - Andropogon gerardii
Andropogon gerardii - Big Bluestem

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Andropogon gerardii - Big Bluestem

Species: Andropogon gerardii
Common name: big bluestem

Vegetative identification: Young shoots are reddish brown with sheaths that are very pubescent and flattened. Leaf blades have long hairs on the margins and upper surface of the blade.

 

Andropogon gerardii – big bluestem
Average number of good seeds per gram bulk matter: 22, 9, and 17, depending on collection site
Average number of good seeds per gram cleaned: n.m.
Commercial estimates of seeds per gram: 364
Percent seed: n.m.
Percent live: 59
Collection dates: September 7, 11, 12, 18
Collection effort: 578 g in 21 person-hours
Collection notes: Species is common in park, but flowering plants were rare in 2004 due to grazing and drought.
Cleaning notes: Bulk seed includes small pieces of stem, leaves, lemmas, glumes, etc.
White Penstemon  

Did You Know?
White Penstemon is the most widespread penstemon or beardtonue in the Great Plains. The insides of the blossoms are bearded and often spotted with purple.
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Last Updated: September 15, 2007 at 12:22 EST