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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Erioneuron pilosum (Hairy woollygrass)
Anderson, Wynn

Erioneuron pilosum

Erioneuron pilosum (Buckley) Nash

Hairy Woollygrass, Hairy Tridens

Poaceae (Grass Family)

Synonym(s): Tridens pilosus, Uralepis pilosa

USDA Symbol: ERPI5

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Blades: Thick, narrow, flat, glabrous or hispidulous, 2-8 cm. long, 1-2.5 mm broad. Thick white margin, pointed tip. Culms: 10-30 cm. tall, typically with only 1 node elevated above the basal clusters of leaves. Inflorescence: Contracted panicle or raceme mostly 2-3 cm. long and 10-16 cm broad with 4-9 large, pale spikelets. Fruits: Caryopsis 1.3-1.5 mm. long.

 

From the Image Gallery

13 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Linear
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous
Inflorescence: Panicle
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: This is a low, to about 1 foot tall, tufted perennial with a lovely fluffy inflorescence that is nice in a short grass prairie garden.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Brown
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , KS , NM , NV , OK , TX , UT
Native Distribution: Abundant in far West Texas and the Edwards plateau on prairies and other disturbed areas.
Native Habitat: Well-drained limestone, sand, caliche in open rangelands, pastures, poor areas.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Drought Tolerance: High
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Limestone-based, Sandy Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam Clay
Conditions Comments: Hairy tridens conforms to a short-grass prairie garden. It provides a good matrix in which to establish wildflowers. Winecup, four-nerve daisy, and blue-eyed grass combine well in plantings with hairy tridens because the grass provides an interesting contrast with its texture.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Attractive.
Use Wildlife: Seeds-granivorous birds; Small mammals-nesting material; Poor forage plant for livestock and wildlife.
Use Other: Some value in retarding soil erosion in dry regions subject to occasional heavy rains.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Larval Host: The Grass Family is an essential larval food for most branded skippers and most of the satyrs.
Deer Resistant: High

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Seed Treatment: No special pre-treatment.
Commercially Avail: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge, c/o Wimberley Birding Society - Wimberley, TX
Jacob's Well Natural Area - Wimberley, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0951 Collected Sep 1, 1994 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe
NPSOT 1056 Collected Aug 10, 1995 in Comal County by Mary Beth White

2 specimen(s) available in the Digital Herbarium

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-29 Collected 2006-05-16 in Travis County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Bibliography

Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 3 - Flora of North America (2014) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Erioneuron pilosum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Erioneuron pilosum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Erioneuron pilosum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2021-09-18
Research By: TWC Staff

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