birdandhike.com logo
Home | Vegetation | Plant Species | Grasses
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Grasses Around Las Vegas, Vegetation Around Las Vegas
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
One seed with three awns attached

General: Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea) is a fairly common, upright grass that grows in individual clumps (bunches) in the deserts around Las Vegas. Purple Threeawn is a spindly bunchgrass that grows to about 18-inches tall from a small clump and has seeds held closely pressed against the stems. The flowers tend to have a purple-colored cast, and when ripe, the seeds each have three awns.

Purple Threeawn is a fairly common component of vegetation associations in the Lower Sonoran (Creosote-Bursage Flats) and Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zones, especially in sandy and gravely areas.

Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn in sandy habitat at Lake Mead
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn in gravel habitat
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn in sandy habitat in Gold Butte
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn in gravel and rock habitat
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Leaves
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Stems and leaves
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn: notice purplish flowers
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn: notice purplish flowers
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn: notice purplish flowers
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn: notice purplish flowers
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Dried seedhead
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Dried seedhead
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn: several ripe seeds with three awns each
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)Purple Threeawn: two ripe seeds with three awns each
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn: ripe seed with three awns
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn: ripe seed with three awns
Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea)
Purple Threeawn: ripe seeds with three awns
more to come
More to come ...

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate. Names generally follow the USDA database.
copyright; Last updated 220726

All Grasses Plant Species Index Glossary Copyright, Conditions, Disclaimer Home
Google Ads