Developmental Morphology of Switchgrass and Sideoats Grama

A study was made of the vegetative expansion, floral development, and responses to mowing of switchgrass and sideoats grama. Vegetative expansion in switchgrass was primarily by rhizomes, proaxis buds, and continuation of arrested growth, in that order. Vegetative expansion in sideoats grama was mainly by proaxis buds and the continuation of arrested growth, in that order. Mowing at about 3 cm aboveground decreased herbage production, stopped reproductive shoots after inflorescence elevation, and initiated tillering from rhizomes and proaxes of both species, and decreased the length of the third and fourth internodes of sideoats grama.