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Hilaria mutica
Hilaria mutica, synonym Pleuraphis mutica, is a species of grass known by the common name tobosa, or tobosa grass. It is native to Northern Mexico, and the Southwestern United States, in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Hilaria mutica is one of the most common species on the semidesert grasslands in the region. It is a climax species on frequently flooded lowlands. It also occurs on upland territory. Habitat types that feature the grass include pinyon-juniper woodland and mesquite, creosote, and grassy shrubsteppe. It does best on land that is flooded for a few days and then dries up. It also grows on drier soils, and it is somewhat drought-tolerant.
Tobosa is an important forage for cattle and horses in the American Southwest. It is productive and palatable until it becomes rough at maturity. It is especially valuable during drought when it persists after other grasses die. It can be cut into hay when still green. In Texas, it yields 1000 pounds per acre, and this can be increased with careful and deliberate management. In areas with adequate precipitation, burning is used to remove litter, which then stimulates the stems to produce more green matter.
Curly-mesquite · James' Galleta · Big Galleta · Curly-mesquite
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Hilaria mutica by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
