Nolina microcarpa

Common Name: Beargrass, Sacahuista
Oˊodham Name: Moho Audio
Group: Succulents － Chaparral, Madrean Woodland

Description

Nolina microcarpa grows from a massive underground tuber that forms a dense spray of tough, narrow grass-like leaves up to 3 feet long. The strong, thick, fibrous leaves have tiny teeth along the margins. The leaves are an important fiber source used in basketry. In summer, tall flower stalks produce large numbers of tiny flowers which are an important food source for bees and other insects. This species grows in gravelly or rocky slopes between 3000 and 7000 ft elevation.

Classification

Kingdom Plantae － Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta － Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta － Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta － Flowering plants

Class Liliopsida － Monocotyledons

Subclass Liliidae

Order Liliales

Family Liliaceae － Lily family

Genus Nolina Michx. － beargrass

Species Nolina microcarpa S. Watson － sacahuista

More Information

USDA Plant Profile and Map