Allergen of the Month—Grama Grass

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Grama grasses, Bouteloua sp., are North American natives comprising a large portion of the “short-grass prairie.” 1 Hitchcock A.S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. 2nd Ed. Dover Publications Inc, New York1971: 532-542 Google Scholar , 2 Barkworth M.E. Anderton L.K. Capels K.M. Long S. Piep M.B. Manual of Grasses for North America. Utah State University Press, Logan, UT2007: 242-246 Google Scholar , 3 Gould F.W. Common Texas Grasses: An Illustrated Guide. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX1978: 45-58 Google Scholar There are 40 species, with point of origin felt to be the Mexican highlands. Blue grama, B gracilis, and side-oats grama, B curtipendula, are the most prevalent, with a range from southern Alberta to Manitoba, throughout the Great Plains into Mexico, with B curtipendula extending further into the northeastern states as well as through Central America into western South America. 1 Hitchcock A.S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. 2nd Ed. Dover Publications Inc, New York1971: 532-542 Google Scholar , 2 Barkworth M.E. Anderton L.K. Capels K.M. Long S. Piep M.B. Manual of Grasses for North America. Utah State University Press, Logan, UT2007: 242-246 Google Scholar , 4 Wodehouse R.P. Hayfever Plants. Hafner Publishing Co, New York1971: 62-63 Google Scholar B gracilis has been introduced into several eastern states. 1 Hitchcock A.S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. 2nd Ed. Dover Publications Inc, New York1971: 532-542 Google Scholar , 2 Barkworth M.E. Anderton L.K. Capels K.M. Long S. Piep M.B. Manual of Grasses for North America. Utah State University Press, Logan, UT2007: 242-246 Google Scholar Blue grama is best adapted to rocky or clay soils at elevations of 300-3,000 m, especially at dryer, warmer sites. 2 Barkworth M.E. Anderton L.K. Capels K.M. Long S. Piep M.B. Manual of Grasses for North America. Utah State University Press, Logan, UT2007: 242-246 Google Scholar , 5 Peters D.P.C. Recruitment potential of two perennial grasses with different growth forms at a semiarid-arid transition zone. Am J Botany. 2002; 89: 1616-1623 Crossref PubMed Scopus (32) Google Scholar These grama grasses are most important forage grasses, providing nutritious feed even during the winter. 1 Hitchcock A.S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. 2nd Ed. Dover Publications Inc, New York1971: 532-542 Google Scholar , 2 Barkworth M.E. Anderton L.K. Capels K.M. Long S. Piep M.B. Manual of Grasses for North America. Utah State University Press, Logan, UT2007: 242-246 Google Scholar , 3 Gould F.W. Common Texas Grasses: An Illustrated Guide. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX1978: 45-58 Google Scholar , 4 Wodehouse R.P. Hayfever Plants. Hafner Publishing Co, New York1971: 62-63 Google Scholar They are good grazing for livestock and wildlife, and B. gracilis withstands close grazing. [3] Gould F.W. Common Texas Grasses: An Illustrated Guide. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX1978: 45-58 Google Scholar B curtipendula and B gracilis may both be used for hay. 1 Hitchcock A.S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. 2nd Ed. Dover Publications Inc, New York1971: 532-542 Google Scholar , 3 Gould F.W. Common Texas Grasses: An Illustrated Guide. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX1978: 45-58 Google Scholar These grasses may be used as ornamentals. [2] Barkworth M.E. Anderton L.K. Capels K.M. Long S. Piep M.B. Manual of Grasses for North America. Utah State University Press, Logan, UT2007: 242-246 Google Scholar Grasslands are sensitive to increasing nocturnal temperatures; with a decreased aboveground net primary production of dominant B gracilis (utilizing C4 photosynthesis), and increased abundance of both exotic and native C3 vegetation. [6] Alward R.D. Detling J.K. Milchunas D.G. Grassland vegetation changes and nocturnal global warming. Science. 1999; 283: 229-231 Crossref PubMed Scopus (291) Google Scholar