Working List of Grasses for Otero Mesa
There are very few large swaths of black gramma grasslands left in America.
The following is presented only as a working list of grasses found on Otero Mesa in southern Eddy County, New Mexico. The list is based on the work by Kelly W. Allred, A Field Guide to the Grasses of New Mexico. This third edition guide is invaluable in learning about the grasses of New Mexico and is available from the Agricultural Experiment Station, P O Box 30003, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003.
The species listed below are possible species on Otero Mesa. The boundaries are considered to be the forest service western boundary of the Guadalupe Mountains (to the east), the New Mexico-Texas state line to the south, US Highway 54 to the west and the southern foothills of the Sacramento Mountains to the north.
In the following list, species are listed alphabetically by scientific name. The common name follows and that is followed by two columns. In the first column the letter “N” or “I” appears and that designates whether it is a native or introduced species. For reference, the last column is the page number of Allred’s book on which the account for that species can be found.
This list will be adjusted as time passes with species omitted and species added as we learn more about this grassland.
Black Gramma Grass.
1. Achnatherum hymenoides, Indian Ricegrass N 56
2. Achnatherum robustum, Sleepygrass N 59
3. Achnatherum scribneri, Scribner’s Needlegrass N 60
4. Achnatherum lobatum, Littleawn Needlegrasss N 60
5. Achnatherum perplexum, Newq Mexico Needlegrass N 61
6. Aegilops cylindrica, Jointed Goatgrass N 61
7. Agropyron cristatum, Fairway Crested Wheatgrass I 63
8. Agropyron desertorum, Desert Crested Wehatgrass I 63
9. Agrostis stolonifera, Creeping Bentgrass N 64
10 Agrostis gigantea, Redtop I 65
11 .Agrostis exarata, Spike Bentgrass N 66
12. Agrostis scabra, Ticklegrass, Rough Bentgrass N 67
13. Alopecurus pratensis, Meadow Foxtail N 68
14. Alopecurus aequalis, Shortawn Foxtail N 69
15. Aristida adscenionis, Six-weeks Threeawn N 73
16. Aristida havarii, Haver’s Threeawn N 76
17. Aristida purpurea, Purple Threeawn N 79
18. Arundo donax, Giant Reed I 82
19. Avena fatua, Wild Oats N 84
20 Bothriochloa laguroides, Silver Bluestem N 88
21. Bothriochloa springfieldii, Springfield’s Bluestem N 89
22. Bothriochloa alta, Tall Bluestem N 89
23. Bothriochloa barbinodis, Cane Bluestem N 90
24. Bouteloua eriopoda, Black Grama N 90
25. Bouteloua warnockii, Warnock’s Grama N 91
26. Bouteloua curtipendula, Sideoats Grama N 92
27. Bouteloua aristidoides, Needle Grama N 92
28. Bouteloua simplex, Mat Grama N 92
29. Bouteloua hirsuta, Hairy Grama N 94
30. Bouteloua gracilis, Blue Grama N 94
31 Bouteloua parryi, Parry’s Grama N 95
32. Bouteloua barbata, Sixweeks Grama N 96
33. Bouteloua breviseta, Gyp Grama N 97
34. Bromus inermis, Smooth Brome I 99
35. Bromus catharticus, Rescuegrass I 100
36. Bromus carrinatus, California or Mountain Brome N 101
37. Bromus lanatipes, Shaggy Brome N 102
38. Bromus ciliatus, Fringed Brome N 104
39. Bromus japonicus, Japanese or Meadow Brome I 106
40. Bromus diandrus, Ripgut Brome N 107
41 Bromus tectorum, Cheatgrass or Downy Brome N 109
42. Cenchrus spinifex, Common Sandbur N 117
43. Chloris verticillata, Tumble Windmillgrass N 118
44. Chloris virgata, Showy Windmillgrass N 119
45. Cynodon dactylon, Bermudagrass I 121
46. Dasyochloa pulchella, Fluffgrass N 125
47. Deschampsiacespitosa, Tufted Hairgrass N 126
48. Digitaria pubiflora, Fall Witchgrass N 129
49. Echinochlora crus-galli, Large Barnyard Grass N 134
50. Echinochlora muricata, Cockspur N 135
51. Elymus scribneri, Scribner’s Wheatgrass N 137
52. Elymus hispidus, Intermediate Wheatgrass N 138
53. Elymus elongates, Tall Wheatgrass N 138
54. Elymus xpseudorepens, False Quackgrass N 139
55. Elymus smithii, Western Wheatgrass N 142
56. Elymus repens, Quackgrass or Twitchgrass N 144
57. Elymus arizonicus, Arizona Wheatgrass N 146
58. Elymus canadensis, Canada Wildrye N 150
59. Enneapogon desvauxii, Spike Pappusgrass N 151
60. Eragrostis cilianensis, Stinkgrass ? 153
61 Eragrostis mexicana, Mexican Lovegrass N 155
62. Eragrostis lutescens, Six-weeks Lovegrass N 155
63. Eragrostis pectinacea, Carolina Lovegrass N 156
64. Eragrostis superba, Wilman Lovegrass ? 159
65. Eragrostis lehmanniana, Lehmann’s Lovegrass I 161
66. Eragrostis curvula, Weeping Lovegrass N 162
67. Eragrostis intermedia, Plains Lovegrass N 163
68. Eragrostis erosa, Chihuahua Lovegrass N 165
69. Eriochloa acuminata, Texas Cupgrass N 167
70. Erioneuron pilosum, Hairy Tridens N 170
71. Erioneuron avenaceum, Large-flowered Tridens N 170
72. Hesperostipa neomexicana, New Mexico Feathergrass N 184
73. Koeleria macrantha, Junegrass N 194
74. Leptochloa dubia, Green Sprangletop N 196
75. Lycurus setosus, Bristly Wolftail N 201
76. Muhlenbergia depauperata, Six-weeks Muhly N 207
77. Muhlenbergia tenuifolia, Mesa Muhly N 209
78. Muhlenbergia minutissima, Least Muhly N 212
79. Muhlenbergia porteri, Bush Muhly N 215
80. Muhlenbergia pungens, Sandhill Muhly N 217
81 Muhlenbergia arenacea, Ear Muhly N 220
82. Muhlenbergia asperifolia, Scratchgrass N 220
83. Muhlenbergia racemosa, Green Muhly N 220
84. Muhlenbergia villiflora, Hairy Muhly N 222
85. Muhlenbergia repens, Creeping Muhly N 224
86. Muhlenbergia emersleyi, Bullgrass N 224
87. Muhlenbergia wrightii, Spike Muhly N 224
88. Muhlengergia torreyi, Ring Muhly N 229
89. Muhlenbergia arenicola, Sand Muhly N 229
90. Muhlenbergia pauciflora, New Mexico Muhly N 232
91. Muhlenbergia setifolia, Curlyleaf Muhly N 233
92. Munroa squarrosa, False-Buffalograss N 234
93. Nassella tenuissima, Mexican Feathergrass N 235
94. Panicum capillare, Common Witchgrass N 239
95. Panicum obtusum, Vine Mesquite N 243
96. Panicum hallii, Hall’s Panicum N 245
97. Panicum bulbosum, Bulb Panicum N 247
98. Pappophorum vaginatum, Whiplash Pappusgrass N 248
99. Phleum pretense, Timothy I 257
100. Pleuraphis mutica, Tobosa N 264
101 Pleuraphis jamesii, Galleta N 264
102. Poa biglovii, Bigelow’s Bluegrass N 266
103. Schedonnardus paniculatus, Tumblegrass N 287
104. Schizachyrium neomexicanum, New Mexico Bluestem N 290
105. Schizachyrium scoparium, Little Bluestem N 291
106. Scleropogon brevifolius, Burrograss N 292
107. Setaria pumila, Yellow Bristlegrass N 296
108. Setaria viridis, Green Bristlegrass N 298
109. Setaria leucopila, Plains Bristlegrass N 298
110. Sorghastrum nutans, Indiangrass N 298
111. Sorghum halepense, Johnsongrass N 300
112. Sporobolus giganteus, Giant Dropseed N 307
113. Sporobolus contractus, Spike Dropseed N 307
114. Sporobolus nealleyi, Gypgrass N 307
115. Sporobolus flexuosus, Mesa Dropseed N 307
116. Sporobolus cryptandrus, Sand Dropseed N 309
117. Sporobolus airoides, Alkali Sacaton N 309
118. Sporobolus wrightii, Giant Sacaton N 310
119. Trichloris crinita, False Rhodesgrass N 314
120. Tridens albescens, White Tridens N 317
121. Trisetum interruptum, Prairie Trisetum N 321
122. Vulpia octoflora, Sixweeks Fescue N 328
123. Vulpia bromoides, Brome Sixweeks Fescue N 328
Rachel 
