''Redfieldia'', known as blowout grass, is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

in the grass family ( Poaceae). The sole species, ''Redfieldia flexuosa'', is native to

sandhill A sandhill is a type of ecological community or xeric wildfire-maintained ecosystem. It is not the same as a sand dune. It features very short fire return intervals, one to five years. Without fire, sandhills undergo ecological succession and be ...

s in the western and central United States. The plants grow in small clusters, protecting each other from the harsh desert conditions.

Description

The flowering culms are tall. The inflorescence is an open panicle with solitary spikelets on narrow pedicels. Each spikelet has between two and six florets. The glumes have pointed tips and are narrower than the fertile lemma. The lemma has three veins and hairy margins. The glumes are persistent after fruiting. It spreads with elongated rhizomes.

Distribution and habitat

According to the United States

Natural Resources Conservation Service Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and ...

(NRCS), blowout grass is found in thirteen states, including

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Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the so ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

, Oklahoma,

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Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

, and

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the sou ...

.USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, "Plants profile: Redfieldia flexuosa (Thurb.) Vasey: blowout grass", http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=REFL (accessed March 24, 2009).

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q7305854, from2=Q4928625 Chloridoideae Endemic flora of the United States Monotypic Poaceae genera

Description

Distribution and habitat

See also

References