Springfield's beardgrass

Bothriochloa springfieldii (Gould) Parodi

Springfield’s beardgrass carries pale tufts around its stem joints. Hairy, spreading flowering branches give this clump-forming grass a distinctive outline. Kew POWO and GrassBase: Bothriochloa springfieldii Argentina National Parks SIB: Bothriochloa springfieldii

Botanical name

The cited authority recognizes Bothriochloa springfieldii (Gould) Parodi as a species. Kew POWO and GrassBase: Bothriochloa springfieldii

Recognizing the plant

Bothriochloa springfieldii has tufts of pale hairs around its stem nodes, one of the small details behind the impression of a bearded grass. It grows as a perennial clump with narrow leaves and flowering stems generally about thirty to eighty centimetres tall. At the top, hairy branches gather into a finger-like arrangement rather than the broad, open spray familiar from many other grasses. The reproductive structure combines fertile, stalkless spikelets with sterile, stalked companions. Kew POWO and GrassBase: Bothriochloa springfieldii Argentina National Parks SIB: Bothriochloa springfieldii

Seasonal development

Argentina, Lihué Calel regional guide

The Lihué Calel regional guide records flowering from December through February and fruiting from January through March in Argentina, spanning the Southern Hemisphere summer and early autumn. Argentina National Parks SIB: Bothriochloa springfieldii

Native range

Its native range spans widely separated parts of the Americas: Kew records the southwestern United States and Mexico, and a South American range from Bolivia to Argentina. Argentina’s National Parks biodiversity system describes it on dry ground, including lower rocky slopes and fissures at Lihué Calel. Kew POWO and GrassBase: Bothriochloa springfieldii Argentina National Parks SIB: Bothriochloa springfieldii

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.