Native and introduced ornamental bunchgrass seedling response to restricted soil-moisture conditions

Our greenhouse study compared seedlings of native Texas sideoats grama (SOG; Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr.) and little bluestem (LBS; Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash) to introduced fountaingrass (Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng.), feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora (Schrad.) Rchb.), and pheasant tail grass (Stipa arundinacea (Hook.f.) Benth.), bunchgrasses of the Poaceae family that are currently used as ornamental bunchgrasses. The objectives were to 1) determine seedling phenotypic ornamental variability in relation to soil water deficiency of selected SOG and LBS accessions under greenhouse conditions at Stephenville, Texas, and 2) compare simulated soil moisture stress on SOG and LBS performance compared to widely utilized non-native ornamental bunchgrasses. Species and accessions within species differed primarily in herbage dry matter yield (DMY) and canopy diameter. At 25% soil-saturation (P ≤ 0.05), LBS seedlings yielded 23.8% and SOG 26.7% of the herbage DMY as they did at 100% soil-saturation. When compared to the 15.9% and 12.6% DMY (P ≤ 0.05) for fountaingrass and feather reed grass, respectively, at the same irrigation levels, the native seedlings suffered less decline under persistently low soil-moisture conditions. When averaged across irrigation levels, there was a 34.0% difference (P ≤ 0.05) in LBS entries DMY between the greatest and least DMY while there was a 26.8% difference between the greatest and least yielding LBS, indicating high variability in DMY within these germplasms. Native accessions likewise showed variation in plant heights and inflorescence color within each species. Field trials comparing native and exotic ornamental seedlings as well as epigenetic variability within species are warranted. Gutiérrez S, Muir JP, Murray DB, Smith WB, Bow JR. 2023. Native and introduced ornamental bunchgrass seedling response to restricted soil-moisture conditions. Native Plants Journal 24(1):18–31.