Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash GRIN-Global

Taxon: Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash

Summary

Genus:

Schizachyrium

Family:

Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)

Subfamily:

Panicoideae

Tribe:

Andropogoneae

Subtribe:

Andropogoninae

Nomen number:

70698

Place of publication:

J. K. Small, Fl. s.e. U.S. 59, 1326. 1903

Verified:

02/08/2000 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

0 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System.

Other conspecific taxa

Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash subsp. divergens (Hack.) Gandhi & Smeins (0 active accession[s])
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash subsp. littorale (Nash) Gandhi & Smeins (0 active accession[s])
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash subsp. neomexicanum (Nash) Gandhi & Smeins (0 active accession[s])
Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash subsp. scoparium (0 active accession[s])

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

No images

Reference(s)

Aldén, B., S. Ryman & M. Hjertson. Våra kulturväxters namn - ursprung och användning. Formas, Stockholm (Handbook on Swedish cultivated and utility plants, their names and origin). 2009
Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. 1995
Bor, N. L. The grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India, and Pakistan. 1960
CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988)
Englert, J. M. et al. 1999. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators. 1999-
FNA Editorial Committee. Flora of North America. 1993-
Hitchcock, A. S. Manual of the grasses of the United States, ed. 2. 1950
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares. 2008
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2. 1998
Mejía-Saulés, M. T. & P. Dávila A. Gramíneas Útiles de México. Cuad. Inst. Biol. 16. 1992
Meyer, M. H. 2012. Chapter 3. Ornamental grasses in the United States. Hort. Rev. 39:121-151.
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. Flora of [West] Pakistan. 1970-
National Herbarium of New South Wales. Flora of New South Wales. 1961-1984
Rechinger, K. H., ed. Flora iranica. 1963-
Scoggan, H. J. The flora of Canada, 4 vol. 1978-1979
Webster's third new international dictionary. 1961

Common names

English
little bluestem –
prairie beard grass –
Swedish
präriegräs –

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	New Brunswick
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Nova Scotia
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Ontario
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Quebec
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Iowa
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Kansas
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Minnesota
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Nebraska
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	North Dakota
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Oklahoma
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	South Dakota
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Wisconsin
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Connecticut
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Indiana
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maine
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Massachusetts
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Michigan
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Hampshire
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Jersey
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Rhode Island
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Vermont
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	West Virginia
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Chihuahua
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Coahuila
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Durango
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Nuevo Leon
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Colorado
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Idaho
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Montana
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Wyoming
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	New Mexico
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Alabama
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Arkansas
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Delaware
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Georgia
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Kentucky
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Louisiana
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maryland
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Mississippi
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	South Carolina
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Tennessee
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Virginia
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Arizona
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Utah
1	Native	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Alberta
1	Native	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	British Columbia
1	Native	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Manitoba
1	Native	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Saskatchewan
2	Cultivated	Northern America		North America
2	Cultivated	Northern America		United States
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Pakistan
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Chile

Native
Northern America

EASTERN CANADA: Canada [New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin]
NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon]
NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [New Mexico, Texas]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Arizona, Utah]
WESTERN CANADA: Canada [Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan]

Cultivated
Northern America

REGION: North America, United States

Naturalized
Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Pakistan

Southern America

SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Chile

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Animal food	forage	Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. 1995
Environmental	erosion control	Englert, J. M. et al. 1999. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators. 1999-
Environmental	ornamental	Meyer, M. H. 2012. Chapter 3. Ornamental grasses in the United States. Hort. Rev. 39:121-151.
Environmental	revegetator	Englert, J. M. et al. 1999. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators. 1999-
Environmental	wildlife habitat	Englert, J. M. et al. 1999. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators. 1999-
Weed	potential seed contaminant	CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988)

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2025. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://ausgenebank.agriculture.vic.gov.au/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=70698. Accessed 22 April 2025.