''Pappophorum bicolor'' is a species of

grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...

known by the common name pink pappusgrass.

Distribution

The plant is bunchgrass

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to North America, where it occurs in Northeastern Mexico and in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

(United States).Grass Manual Treatment: ''Pappophorum bicolor''.
It is found in the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

, other

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

s, meadows, pastures, oak savannahs, and along roadsides.

Description

This perennial

bunchgrass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennia ...

grows up to 1 m (3 ft.) tall. The leaves are up to 20 or 30 centimeters long. The narrow

panicle In botany, a panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a p ...

is somewhat pink to purple in color. It blooms from April to November.

Uses

Pink pappusgrass is used for the revegetation of

rangeland Rangelands are grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals. Types of rangelands include tallgrass and shortgrass prairies, desert grasslands and shrublands, woodlands, savanna ...

, seeding along roadways, and for native

habitat restoration Ecological restoration, or ecosystem restoration, is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, destroyed or transformed. It is distinct from conservation in that it attempts to retroactively repair ...

.''Pappophorum bicolor''.
USDA NRCS Plant Fact Sheet. It is good for wildlife, and it provides a

forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used m ...

for livestock.

Cultivation

''Pappophorum bicolor'' is cultivated as an

ornamental grass Ornamental grasses are grasses grown as ornamental plants. Ornamental grasses are popular in many colder hardiness zones for their resilience to cold temperatures and aesthetic value throughout fall and winter seasons. Classifications Along ...

, for use in traditional,

native plant In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equi ...

, and

wildlife garden A wildlife garden (or habitat garden or backyard restoration) is an Biophysical environment, environment created with the purpose to serve as a sustainable haven for surrounding wildlife. Wildlife gardens contain a variety of habitats that cater t ...

s.''Pappophorum bicolor''.
USDA NRCS Plant Guide.''Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife''; Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Texas Parks and Wildlife Press; (1999) Austin, Texas; . The grass may be attacked by the rice stink bug (''Oebalus pugnax'').

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile for ''Pappophorum bicolor'' (pink pappusgrass)NatureServe: ''Pappophorum bicolor''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7133106 Chloridoideae Bunchgrasses of North America Grasses of Mexico Native grasses of Texas Native grasses of the Great Plains region Flora of Northeastern Mexico