ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Aristida oligantha
 
 
 CLASS:    MONOCOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    CYPERALES
 FAMILY:   POACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Aristida oligantha
 AUTHORITY:  Michx.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    PLAINS THREE AWN GRASS
    PRAIRIE THREE AWN GRASS
    WIRE GRASS
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: ARCL
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       UPLAND FOREST
         DRY
     PRAIRIE
     SAVANNA
     PRIMARY
       GLADE
     CULTURAL
       AGRICULTURAL FIELD
         PASTURELAND
       SUCCESSIONAL FIELD
         ABANDONED CROPLAND
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     CENTRAL
        Upland oak
           White/Black/Northern Red-  Oak
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           ALEXANDER       BOND            BOONE           BROWN
   BUREAU          CALHOUN         CARROLL         CASS            CHAMPAIGN
   CHRISTIAN       CLARK           CLAY            CLINTON         COLES
   COOK            CRAWFORD        CUMBERLAND      DEKALB          DEWITT
   DOUGLAS         DUPAGE          EDWARDS         EFFINGHAM       FAYETTE
   FORD            FRANKLIN        FULTON          GALLATIN        GREENE
   GRUNDY          HAMILTON        HANCOCK         HARDIN          HENDERSON
   HENRY           IROQUOIS        JACKSON         JASPER          JEFFERSON
   JERSEY          JO DAVIESS      JOHNSON         KANE            KANKAKEE
   KENDALL         KNOX            LAKE            LASALLE         LAWRENCE
   LEE             LIVINGSTON      LOGAN           MCDONOUGH       MCHENRY
   MACON           MACOUPIN        MADISON         MARION          MASON
   MASSAC          MENARD          MERCER          MONROE          MONTGOMERY
   MORGAN          MOULTRIE        PEORIA          PERRY           PIATT
   PIKE            POPE            PUTNAM          RANDOLPH        RICHLAND
   ROCK ISLAND     ST. CLAIR       SALINE          SANGAMON        SCHUYLER
   SCOTT           SHELBY          TAZEWELL        UNION           VERMILION
   WABASH          WARREN          WASHINGTON      WAYNE           WHITE
   WHITESIDE       WILL            WILLIAMSON      WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Monocot
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (fibrous)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Parallel
    LEAF SHAPE:     Linear
    INFLORESCENCE:   Panicle
    FLOWER MEROUS:  3
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   Grain
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Species is tufted. Lemma awns are free at base, to 35-70 mm.
     long, longest awns of the Section Chaetaria. When mature plants
     are whitish, tough and wiry.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 GEOGRAPHIC COMMENTS:
     Species is found throughout the state.
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Common
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 POPULATION STATUS COMMENTS:
     This is the most common Aristida in Illinois.
 
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Grasslike
     LIFE CYCLE:   Annual
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      8         MONTH END-     10
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C4
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is distributed along railroads, eroded slopes, clayey
     roadsides. Hard, white clay soil is a frequent habitat for all species in
     genus, overgrazed areas, and places with little competition.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:    No data entered
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:    No data entered
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:
     FOOD VALUE:  No data entered
     COVER VALUE:  No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK PALATABILITY DATA:
     CATTLE FORAGE: No data    SHEEP FORAGE:  No data    HORSE FORAGE:  No data
     GOAT FORAGE:   No data    ENERGY VALUE:  Low        PROTEIN VALUE: Low
     POISONOUS (LIVESTOCK):     -mechanical injury
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     Mature awns may injure animals.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Economic
 
 
 GENERAL COMMENTS:
     Regarding weediness, species may be economic or colonizing.
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H.  1967-continuing.  The illustrated flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
Agricultural Experiment Station.  1981.  Weeds of the North Central States.
     Bulletin 772.  College of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-
     Champaign, Urbana.  303 pp.
 
 OTHER REFERENCES:
     Stephens, H.A. 1980. Poisonous Plants of the Central United States.
          Regent Press of Kansas. Lawrence, KA. 165 pp.
     Baskin, J. M., and C. C. Baskin.  1981.  Photosynthetic pathways indicated
          by leaf anatomy in fourteen summer annuals of cedar glades.
          Photosynthetica 15: 205-209.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Aristida oligantha
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015