It's easy to forget that grasses have flowers, because the blooms are so tiny. I believe this is Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) but there are hundreds of grasses in Wisconsin, and I can't guarantee the identity. It's an attractive plant and one component of the traditional tall-grass prairie.
Photographed by my wife a couple days ago during a hike on the grounds of the Holy Wisdom Monastery in Middleton, Wisconsin.
"Holy Wisdom Monastery is home to a diverse ecosystem spread across more than 130 acres of restored prairie, woodlands, wetlands, gardens, orchards and more. Nurturing partnerships with Dane County, Madison Community Foundation and others who value caring for the earth has always been important to us.Here's one more photo from that hike: (Tiger Swallowtail on Bull Thistle)
In September 2012, we acquired a 53-acre cornfield which we are committed to integrating and restoring to native prairie and oak savanna to help improve the water quality in Lake Mendota. In March 2015, we successfully met our goal of raising $1.9 million to cover the acquisition and initial management costs..."
Reposted from 2017 to add this photo demonstrating the root system of wild grasses:
Yep. If your average human can name the plant and it isn't a moss, a fern, or a conifer odds are very good it is a flowering plant (a.k.a. an Angiosperm). Flowering has been a remarkably successful strategy.
ReplyDeleteFlowering plants
my neighbor, a farmer, id-ed 6 or 7 different grasses that grow in my hayfield, which he cuts for me, as well as their preferential order of eating by his cows.
ReplyDeleteI-)
Wonder if you've ever been to the U.W. field station in Waterville? Marlin Johnson manages a nice little prairie restoration there... you should visit if you get a chance!
ReplyDeletei have a patch of that yellow blooming grass which i let grow in front of the house - it looks great when the wind blows!
ReplyDeleteI-)
It is indeed Indian Grass. The other grass in that pic (the grass with the 3 "prongs") is Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). Great, native prairie species.
ReplyDeleteEven cooler than that, all bamboo of a species will flower at the same time. It will go years without flowering, then every member of the species will flower at once and die. Bamboo is basically just giant grass. I wonder if sugarcane does the same thing.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely correct. And the subsequent massive deployment of bamboo seeds after a flowering causes (I am not kidding) a "rat flood".
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mautam