Bouteloua curtipendula (Michaux) Torrey var. curtipendula . Side-oats Grama. Phen: Jul-Sep. Hab: Prairies, dry rocky slopes and bluffs over calcareous rocks (such as limestone, dolomite, or calcareous shale) or ultramafic rocks (such as serpentine or metabasalt), limestone glades. Dist: S. CT west to MT, south to VA, e. TN, nw. GA, AL, Panhandle FL (Gadsden County), TX, AZ, and CA; also in Central and South America. The older literature refers to B. curtipendula as introduced in SC, but the single specimen documenting its occurrence there appears to be from experimental plantings at Clemson University; there is apparently no evidence of its establishment there. B. curtipendula is now sometimes included in seed mixes, and appears as a waif or short-term introduction, including in the Piedmont of SC (K. Bradley, pers.comm., 2020). B. curtipendula occurs on serpentine in the Piedmont of GA (J. Allison, pers. comm.).

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Var. caespitosa Gould & Kapadia is cespitose rather than rhizomatous and enters our region only along its western edge.

Synonymy: = Ar, C, ETx1, FlGr, FNA25, K1, K3, K4, Mo1, NcTx, NE, NY, Tx, Va, Gould (1979); < Antheropogon curtipendulus (Michx.) E.Fourn. – S13; < Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr. – F, G, HC, Il, Mex, Mi, Pa, RAB, S, Tn, Tx, W, WH3, WV, Peterson, Romaschenko, & Herrera Arrieta (2015)

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Heliophily: 9