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Aristida purpurea var. longiseta
Aristida purpurea Nutt. var. longiseta (Steud.) Vasey
Red Three-awn, Fendler Three-awn, Purple Threeawn
Poaceae (Grass Family)
Synonym(s): Aristida longiseta, Aristida longiseta var. rariflora, Aristida longiseta var. robusta, Aristida purpurea var. robusta
USDA Symbol: ARPUL
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
The culms and leaf blades of this densely tufted, perennial bunchgrass rise 8-20 in. in height. The seedhead is narrow and erect with ascending branches. Three long, reddish bristles extend from each flower.
Taller and more robust populations occurring eastward to Minnesota and west to Washington and California were once referred to as Aristida longiseta var. robusta.
From the Image Gallery
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: Up to about 20 inches tall.
Leaf: Green
Fruit: Brown
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Yellow , Green , BrownBloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov
Distribution
USA: AZ , CA , CO , IA , ID , KS , LA , MN , MT , NC , ND , NE , NM , NV , OK , OR , SC , SD , TX , UT , WA , WYCanada: BC , SK
Native Distribution: B.C. & e. WA to the Dakotas & IA, s. to OR, AZ, TX & Mex.
Native Habitat: Dry hills & plains
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Dry, rocky soils.
Value to Beneficial Insects
Provides Nesting Materials/Structure for Native BeesThis information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Propagation
Commercially Avail: yesFind Seed or Plants
Order seed of this species from Native American Seed and help support the Wildflower Center.
Bibliography
Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, SallySearch More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) CalfloraWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 36 - Jepson eFlora (2019) The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Aristida purpurea var. longiseta in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Aristida purpurea var. longiseta in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Aristida purpurea var. longiseta
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-11-23Research By: TWC Staff