Plants cespitose. Culms 40-60 cm, erect, usually unbranched, densely antrorsely hirsute beneath the nodes. Sheaths mostly glabrous, often ciliate on the margins, particularly at the throat; ligules with 1-2 mm hairs; blades 15-30 cm long, 1-2(4) mm wide, usually involute, abaxial surfaces with scattered long hairs adjacent to the margins, adaxial surfaces usually densely pilose. Rames 5-10 cm, internodes densely villous. Sessile spikelets 4.5-8 mm; calluses about 0.5 mm, hirsute; lower glumes densely hirsute, acuminate, bifid, teeth 1.5-2.5 mm; pedicels densely pilose dorsally. Pedicellate spikelets with densely pilose lower glumes. 2n = 20.

Elionurus barbiculmis grows on mesas, rocky slopes, hills, and in canyons, usually above 1200 m. Its range extends from southern Arizona and southwestern Texas into northern Mexico.

Common Name: woolyspike balsamscale

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Graminoid

General: Cespitose perennial grass with slender, erect stems 40-60 cm tall, usually unbranched, with soft hairs below the nodes.

Vegetative: Sheaths mostly glabrous, but often ciliate on the margins and at the throat; ligules with 1-2 mm hairs; blades narrow and involute, 15-30 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, with scattered long hairs adjacent to the margins on the underside.

Inflorescence: Narrow, solitary raceme, 5-10 cm long, with appressed spikelets and densely villous internodes; spikelets in pairs, 1 sessile and bisexual, the other pedicillate and staminate. Sessile spikelets dorsally compressed, 4-8 mm, with blunt, hirsute calluses at the base; lower glumes densely hirsute, acuminate, and bifid, the teeth 2 mm long; lower florets reduced, sterile; upper florets bisexual, unawned. Pedicellate spikelets about equal to the sessile spikelets, with densely pilose lower glumes; on pedicels that are stout, appressed to rame axes, and densely pilose dorsally.

Ecology: Dry rocky slopes, on hills, and in canyons; 4,000-6,000 ft (1219-1829 m); flowers July-October.

Distribution: se AZ, sw NM, sw TX; south to c MEX.

Notes: Distinguished by being an erect perennial with solitary, cylindrical, densely long-haired spikes terminating the culms; rolled and long, linear leaf blades; and appressed glumes with the tinge of red on the margins. The hairy spikes often have a yellowish or straw-colored hue making this plant recognizable from afar.

Ethnobotany: Unknown

Etymology: Elioneurus is from the Greek eluein, mouse, and oura, tail, alluding to the narrowly cylindrical inflorescence, while barbiculmis means bearded stem.

Synonyms: Elionurus barbiculmis var. parviflorus

Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2014, AHazelton 2015