Rothrock’s Grama
Bouteloua barbata var. rothrockii

Family: Poaceae

Short lived perennial grass growing to about 2’ tall. Reseeds readily. Found on dry rocky hillsides and sandy mesas from 2,500-5,500 ft. Goes dormant in winter. Great pioneer plant. The species is usually annual, but this variety of the species is strongly perennial. They can be difficult to tell apart—rothrockii is generally a more robust plant with significant, perennial roots.

Full to part sun, longer lived on irrigation. Moderate water. Hardy at least into the single digits °F.

This species used to be the most important forage grass in southern Arizona and neighboring regions before many non-native grasses were introduced. Many species of birds use the seeds as food.

Grasses also play an important role in the ecology of soil, and because they are monocots, they can be planted close to other species of plants (the nature of the root systems of monocots renders them less imposing on neighboring plants). They hold soil down and help prevent erosion. Many species are pioneer plants that convert disturbed soils into hospitable places for other plants.

Bouteloua named for brothers Claudio (1774-1842) and Esteban (1776-1813) Boutelou Agraz, Spanish botanists and horticulturalists; rothrockii is named for Dr. Joseph Trimble Rothrock (1839-1922), surgeon on the Wheeler expedition of 1873-1875. There are 57 species of Bouteloua found only in the Americas, with most diversity centered in the southwestern United States.

This species is found on dry rocky hillsides and sandy mesas from 2,500-5,500 ft in southern California, southern Arizona, in a tiny area in southwestern New Mexico, south into Mexico.

Bouteloua barbata var. rothrockii on SEINET
Photo by rvldrive on iNaturalist