Eragrostis spectabilis

American Indian Names

          No native names were found for this plant.  It is a native plant to the United States and so it must have been named by the native people at some time.  The Omaha word for purple is ¡∫hazini-egoⁿ¡Ö so it would be sensible if the word for purple sand love included this Omaha word.

                The common word for purple sand love is purple love grass.

Description

                This grass is a perennial and is native to our country.  It has stiff hair-like branches.  There are 5-12 lemmas which are flowered and purple in color. The roots are rhizomes that are short and stout. The grass will grow from 10 to 30 inches tall.  The leaves blades are flat from 4-12 inches long and the surfaces have hairs.  The plant flowers from August through September.

Location and Habitat

                It is scattered throughout Nebraska except in the extreme west .  It is found in dry or moist pastures, roadsides and waste areas.  It prefers sandy soils.  It is found in Iowa and Kansas   On the reservation, is found where other grasses are growing such as on the senior circle and around the school.

Uses

                It is fair forage when it is green and growing.  Cattle will not eat the mature plants. It is good nesting for upland game birds.  It is also used as an ornamental grass in some landscaping.  There was no mention of any medicinal benefit.  When it is mature and dries out it will break loose and roll like a tumbleweed.

                                                                                                                                By Jasten Grant

This Page was last update: Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 1:32:46 PM
This page was originally posted: 11/21/07; 10:54:07 AM.
Copyright 2008 Plants of the Omaha Indian Reservation

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