Aristida purpurascens Poir.
Arrowfeather Threeawn

Habit: 		Tufted, perennials, erect or decumbent at the base.
Culms: 		Glabrous, 4-7 cm. tall, or taller, simple or sparingly branched.
Blades: 	10-20 cm. long, usually less than 2 mm. wide, flat or involute towards to tip, rather lax,
		a few hairs near the base above.
Sheaths: 	Longer than the internodes, sometimes shorter above, the lower glabrous or with a few loose hairs,
		flattened, keeled.
Ligule: 	Short, hairy.
Inflorescence: 	Panicle slender, narrow, rather lax and nodding, purplish or brownish, 10-30 cm. long,
		one third to half the length of the culm, branches mostly less than 2.5 cm. long, the lower
		somewhat separated, the upper crowded, laxly appressed, spikelets crowded nearly to the base.
Spikelets: 	Exclusive of the awns 9-12 mm. long, 1-flowered, narrow.
Glumes: 	About equal, 9-12 mm. long, the first 1-nerved, scabrous on the keel, awn pointed,
		usually a little longer than the second which is 1- or more-nerved, glabrous or nearly so.
Lemmas: 	6-8 mm. long, callus 0.5 mm. long, slightly pubescent, scabrous on the keel and at the
		scarcely beaked summit, otherwise glabrous, sometimes with dark spots, triple awned, awns
		subequal, divergent or somewhat reflexed, the central one 20-30 mm. long, the lateral 17-25 mm. long.
Palea: 		Thin, included by the lemma.
Habitat: 	Dry sandy soil.  September-October.
Kansas Range: 	East half.
Synonyms:	Aristida affinis (J.A. Schultes) Kunth
		Aristida purpurascens Poir. var. minor Vasey