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Sandberg
Bluegrass
Common
Name(s):
Sandberg bluegrass
Scientific
Name:
Poa
secunda J. Presl
Scientific
Name Synonyms:
Poa sandbergii
Symbol:
POSE
Description:
Life
Span: Perennial
Origin:Native
Season: Cool
Growth Characteristics:
An
erect, perennial bunchgrass, growing in small tufts, without rhizomes,
commonly not over 12 inches tall. It is one of the first plants
to start growth in early spring. Seeds mature in early summer. It
produces from seeds and tillers. With adequate moisture, it will
remain green throughout the summer.
Seedhead:Narrow panicle, up to four inches
long, with ascending panicle branches in whorls of 2 to 3; spikelets
contain 2 to 4 florets, often purplish before maturity; lemmas awnless,
not cobwebby-hairy at base.
Leaves: Mostly basal, glabrous, blades numerous,
fine, 1 to 3 inches long, mostly rolled, with boat-shaped tips;
leaves rolled in bud; ligules prominent, membranous, about 1/8 inch
long, tapering to the tip; auricles absent.
Ecological
Adaptations:
This small native
bunchgrass is among Utah's most widely adapted bluegrasses. It occurs
mainly on semi-desert sites, but is also found on some upland and
mountain sites, growing at elevations from 4500 feet up to 9000
feet and in rainfall belts varying from 6 inches up to 23 inches
annually. It is drought tolerant.
Soils: It occurs on deep, silt loam
to sandy soils, but mostly on the soils of medium texture. It is
adapted to a very wide variety of soils.
Associated Species:
Big
sagebrush, fourwing
saltbush, bluebunch wheatgrass,
western wheatgrass, and needle-and-thread.
Uses and
Management:
It
provides good forage for cattle and fair for sheep, deer, and pronghorn
in spring and early summer. Although the quality of the forage is
good, the total yield of forage is very low compared to such plants
as bluebunch wheatgrass. It provides some erosion control. It does
have the disadvantage of drying up and affording little protection
for the soil surface after late springtime.
Where it is a satisfactory plant for grazing use, and where seeding
of more productive species is not practical, it can be kept most
vigorous and productive if early spring grazing removes no more
than about 40 percent of the top growth. It will stand 50 to 60
percent utilization during the early summer.
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