Bouteloua dactyloides

Bouteloua dactyloides is a perennial plant that spreads by stolons (runners). When blooming or going to seed it has short, upright stalks (culms) that may be anywhere from 1–30 centimetres tall. Buffalograss is a sod forming species usually forming a solid and tight mat of plants. Roots are also numerous and thoroughly occupy the soil. The roots of buffalograss are significantly finer than those of most plains grasses, with a thickness of less than . Despite their narrow diameter they are quite tough and wire-like. Though the roots may reach depths of 70% of their mass is in the top of the soil and 81% in the top . The main roots grow almost directly downward with only very short side roots and very little or no branching. Plants also produce surface roots that growing horizontally to a distance of from the plant. Each is long while being just 1.0–2.5 millimetres wide. Buffalograss usually produces pollen or seeds on separate plants and because it reproduces by stolons large patches of just one sex may form. As a warm season grass it becomes green late in the spring and dries out early in the fall. ==Taxonomy==

Bouteloua dactyloides was first scientifically described by the early American botanist Thomas Nuttall in 1818 with the binomial name Sesleria dactyloides. His placement of the species in genus Sesleria was almost immediately disputed with Constantine Samuel Rafinesque publishing a description the next year placing it in a new genus, Bulbilis. Also significant in the taxonomic history of the species is the 1859 description by George Engelmann of it as Buchloë dactyloides the sole species in the new genus Buchloë. Until the end of the 20th-century this was the most widely used name for the species. In 1999 James Travis Columbus published a paper recommending that Buchloe and several other small genera be combined with Bouteloua placing buffalograss with the grama grasses. and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database. The species name, dactyloides, is from Latin meaning resembling fingers. It is known both as buffalograss and buffalo grass, though buffalo grass is also used as a common name for St. Augustine grass in Australia, as an alternate name of Cenchrus ciliaris and Panicum stapfianum in South Africa, and one of the names of Paspalum conjugatum in Singapore. It is also occasionally called "gama grass". ==Range and habitat==

Buffalograss is native to the shortgrass of North America from Canada to Mexico. In Canada it is found in the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Though it is found in Wisconsin, POWO lists it as an introduced species in that state. West of the Rocky Mountains it is also found in Arizona and in one county in both Utah and Nevada. Buffalograss is also an important component of the mixed grass prairie in drier areas and where impervious clay soils on slopes prevent the establishment of taller grasses. It also rapidly colonizes disturbed areas due to its vegetative reproduction. In the High Plains it grows best in fine textured soils and grows sparsely on sandy soils and may be overwhelmed by shifting sands. Off the plains buffalograss is associated with eastern ponderosa pine forests as an understory plant, in the Cross Timbers ecoregion, and with mesquite and oak savannas. At the extreme limits of its habitat it survives low temperatures of or high temperatures of . NatureServe gave it a rating of critically imperiled (S1) in Manitoba and in Saskatchewan, Arizona, Iowa, and Utah. They consider it to be imperiled (S2) in Illinois and vulnerable (S3) in Minnesota. They list it as possibly extirpated in Missouri. The largest areas of uninterrupted areas of native prairie are in the Central Shortgrass Prairie, in eastern Colorado and western Kansas with as much as 50% of it still in place, though used for grazing of cattle instead of the mix of native grazers. ==Ecology==

Having a single sex on a plant (dioecious plant) is a reproductive strategy to reduce inbreeding by separating the wind pollinated flowers. More plants with both sexes on one plant are found near the edges of its range where it is less dominant and where it forms a more continuous sod there tend to be more single sex populations, with more pollen producing plants with increased resources such as light or nitrogen. When rooting plants that are connected to each other avoid competition. After two months of independence from each other buffalograss plants compete for soil resources in the same way as with any other unrelated plant of the same species. Germination without damage to the seed coat is low, but continues for a long time. Because of its fine and dense root network it excellent for controlling erosion. The US Department of the Interior evaluated it as good to fair forage for elk in Utah and Colorado. In black-tailed prairie dog towns buffalograss tends to be the dominant plant species in the mixed grass prairie where western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) and blue grama grass predominate in nearby areas. The seeds of buffalograss break their dormancy more readily with some damage to the outer layers of the seed. This is likely to be an adaptation to the grazing of buffalo as germination is also enhanced in experiments using cattle as substitute for buffalo. Once passed through the gut seeds showed a quicker germination than untreated counterparts. The seeds also sprout during cold stratification rather than waiting for warmer temperatures. The more specialized buffalograss webworm (Prionapteryx indentella) is only known to feed upon its namesake species. It lives on the plains from Texas to Kansas. Diseases Buffalograss false smut is a fungal disease caused by Porocercospora seminalis (formerly placed in the genus Cercospora). Infection by the fungus prevents normal caryopsis development, resulting in loss of yield and reduced seed germination. Buffalograss is the sole host to the sex-altering fungus, Salmacisia buchloëana (formerly a Tilletia). Infection with S. buchloëana causes male plants to develop female flowers. Salmacisia buchloëana is relatively uncommon in fields and causes minimal loss in yield. Wildfire Fire was an essential part of the prairie ecosystem and buffalograss has many adaptations to survive or take advantage of fires. Warm season grasses can catch fire in all seasons, including winter and early spring. ==Uses==

Cultivation Buffalo grass is particularly noted for thriving in clay soils and full sun. It is intolerant of salt and moisture in excess of about per year. Many cultivars have been developed or collected for different purposes. In addition to having more drought resistance than Kentucky blue grass or perennial ryegrass, buffalograss also has better wear resistance under drought conditions. Though it is more damaged by traffic in drought conditions than when not stressed. Very little research has been done on its resistance to wear under normal conditions, though preliminary research indicates it has moderate to good resistance to damage, though this is not as good as healthy blue grass. It is of good quality for domesticated animals including cattle, horses, sheep, domesticated goats, and rabbits with a digestible protein content of between 2.7 and 2.9%. Forage cultivars Both 'Texoka' and 'Comanche' were developed to feed livestock and can reach as much as in height. All female cultivars are preferred for their lower maintenance needs. While all male types are planted when a more naturalistic look is desired or where the grass will be mowed regularly. 'Bowie': This is a later developed seeded cultivar that was released to the public in 2001. Compared to 'Cody' it has improved color and is quicker to establish. It is an all female selection that does not produce pollen. It was released in 1997, but only available from growers starting in 2000. It is not well adapted to colder conditions and can experience significant winter kill in the Front Range region of Colorado. 'Prestige': This cultivar is noted for its resistance to damage by the western chinch bug. It grows in height and will stay partially green in the warm winters of southern California if not mowed in the fall. '609': The '609' cultivar was also developed by Texas and Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Stations and released in 1990. Like some other cultivars developed for warmer climates it is sensitive to cold, dry conditions and can experience significant winter kill in Colorado. ==References==