Practical
Plants

Bouteloua gracilis

Blue Grama

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.6 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

Seed - raw or cooked[5]. It can be ground into a powder, mixed with water and eaten as a mush, often with corn meal[5]. It is also used to make bread[5].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

The chewed roots have been applied to cuts[5]. A decoction of the whole plant has been used as a post-partum medicine[5].

Product or use
Salve
Product or use
Women's complaints

Material uses

The grass is sometimes used in the fill of coiled basketry[2][5]. The stems can be used as a comb and broom material[5]. The blades can be bundled by a cord and the stiff end used as a hair comb whilst the other end can be used as a broom[5].

Product or use
Basketry
Product or use
Broom
Product or use
Brush

Environment

Range
Southern N. America - Wisconsin to North Dakota, south to Arizona and Mexico.
Habitat
Deserts and prairies[2][3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in early summer. Division.

Cultivation

Easily grown in full sun on any well-drained garden soil[1]. Prefers a near-neutral or lime-free soil[1]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[1]. All members of this genus use the method of photosynthesis knwn as C4. This allows for the more effective capture of carbon dioxide and thus less water loss through transpiration since the stomata do not have to be open for transpiration. This is an advantage in the arid environments where these plants are usually found[6].

References

  1. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Whiting. A. F. Ethnobotany of the Hopi North Arizona Society of Science and Art 1939-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

    ↩

  4. Hitchcock. A. S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States Dover Publications. New York. 1971-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22717-0

  5. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  6. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

    ↩

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