Hilaria jamesii

Hilaria jamesii (formerly Pleuraphis jamesii) is a species of grass known by the common name James' galleta.

Hilaria jamesii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Chloridoideae
Genus:	Hilaria
Species:	H. jamesii
Binomial name
Hilaria jamesii (Torr.) Benth.
Synonyms
Pleuraphis jamesii Torr.

Range and habitat

It is native to the southwestern United States, where it is widespread in scrub, woodland, grassland, and plateau habitat. It is tolerant of arid environments such as desert floors. It is common in the northern Mojave Desert.^[1]

Growth pattern

It is a rhizomatous perennial grass producing bunches of erect stems about 1 mm wide and up to about 60 cm in maximum height. The woody rhizome is shallow, spreading just under the soil surface, but it may reach 6 ft in length and when dense, helps the grass form a sod.^[2] Its stems are not fuzzy like those of its relative, Hilaria rigida.^[1]

Flowers

The inflorescence is a series of hairy, rectangular^{[citation needed]} spikelets.

Fruit

The grass produces relatively little viable seed and spreads mostly via its rhizome.^[2]