COMMON PRAIRIE GRASSES
Name: ______
Background
Grasses are the dominant plant in prairies commonly composing from 70-90% of the available vegetation. The remaining 10-30% is regularly made up of composite or legume wildflowers. In the following activity, you will apply your knowledge of grass anatomy to distinguish between the common prairie grasses.
Objective
1. You should be able to identify and distinguish the most common prairie grasses.
Materials
Colored Pencils
Grass Specimens
Web Access
Attachment on Inflorescences in Grasses
Procedure
1. Access the internet on a classroom computer and image google the following common grasses to identify the common and scientific names of the grasses pictured on the following pages.
o Eastern Gama Grass
o Indian Grass
o Big Bluestem
o Little Bluestem
o Prairie Dropseed
o Switchgrass
2. Use the attached information on “Inflorescences in Grasses” to determine type of inflorescence for each grass pictured, and name and describe that information in the space provided.
3. Describe the ligule for each grass pictured, using the pictures provided. Describe the color of the each grass pictured and use your colored pencils to color in the grasses in an appropriate manner. Note other characteristics of each grass pictured that may help you in it identification, and do what is stated at the bottom of the right-hand column in each grass table.
4. When finished, use your new knowledge to make sure you can identify the real grass specimens at the front of the classroom.
5. For homework, read _ (in the prairie packet) and note information about those species discussed in the space beneath the grasses pictured.
Scientific Name: / Common Name:Type of Inflorescence:
Ligule:
Color:
Other:
Label the culm in the drawing
Scientific Name: / Common Name:
Type of Inflorescence:
Ligule:
Color:
Other:
Label the node in the drawing
Scientific Name: / Common Name:
Type of Inflorescence:
Ligule:
Color:
Other:
Sketch in an accessory stem and prophylum
Scientific Name: / Common Name:
Type of Inflorescence:
Ligule:
Color:
Other:
Label the root-like structures in the drawing
Scientific Name: / Common Name:
Type of Inflorescence:
Ligule:
Color:
Other:
Label the sheath in the drawing
Scientific Name: / Common Name:
Type of Inflorescence:
Ligule:
Color:
Other:
Label the blade in the drawing