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State Symbols
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Official state symbols represent the cultural heritage
and natural treasures of each state or the entire United States |
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New Mexico Symbols
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New Mexico State Grass
Blue Grama Grass
(Bouteloua gracilis )
Adopted in 1973.
The blue grama, Bouteloua gracilis, is a low-growing, six-to- 12-inch-tall warm season perennial sod or bunch grass. Its seed stalks, with two comb-like purplish spikes on each side, occasionally grow as high as four feet. The blue grama is found in all areas of New Mexico, but especially on sand, loam, shallow sites, bottomlands and mountain grasslands, mostly between 3,000 and 8,000 feet. The blue grama was adopted as the official state grass in 1973 by the state
legislature.
General Culture:
Easily grown in average, dry to medium wet, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates a wide range of soils, except poorly-drained, wet ones. Excellent drought tolerance. Freely self-seeds. Cut to the ground in late winter before new shoots appear.
Characteristics:
Blue grama grass is a clump-forming Missouri native grass which is typically found in dryish soils on upland prairies and along railroad tracks. It is an important component of the short grass prairies of the Great Plains. A diminutive species of grass which features narrow leaf blades and unique flower spikes which are attached at right angles to the stems and resemble mosquito larvae. Flowers bloom reddish purple in summer on stems rising above the foliage to 20" tall. At frost, foliage
turns purplish then tan. Also commonly called mosquito grass.
Uses:
Small size makes blue grama grass an excellent selection for rock gardens where it can be used as a specimen or in small groups. Also an excellent choice for naturalized areas, native plant gardens, unmowed meadows, prairie areas or other informal areas in the landscape, especially where drought tolerant plants are needed. Can also be grown as a turf grass and regularly mowed to 2 inches high.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
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| Kingdom |
Plantae – Plants |
| Subkingdom |
Tracheobionta – Vascular plants |
| Superdivision |
Spermatophyta – Seed plants |
| Division |
Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants |
| Class |
Liliopsida – Monocotyledons |
| Order |
Cyperales – |
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Poaceae – Grass family |
| Genus |
Bouteloua Lag. – grama |
| Species |
Bouteloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths – blue grama |
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State Symbols
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State symbols represent things that are special to a
particular state.
symbol \ˈsim-bəl\
noun
Etymology:
in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in
other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token
of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together,
compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil
Date: 15th century
1: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or
convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.
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