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blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis)

Blue grama is a relatively small but important grass species found throughout the Great Plains. It can be found in most major prairie types (e.g. tallgrass, shortgrass, and mixed-grass prairie) ranging from Mexico to Canada. Blue grama is consumed by livestock and wildlife.

This sequence shows the stage of flower development known as anthesis. Anthesis is when flowers are fully developed and functional. For grasses, this stage typically becomes obvious when the anthers (male reproductive parts) emerge. Grasses rely on wind instead of pollinators to distribute their pollen. Because wind pollination relies a great deal on chance, grasses and other wind pollinated species (e.g. pine trees) produce considerable quantities of pollen to ensure successful fertilization. People with allergies likely suffer because of wind pollinated plant(s) in their regions. Immediately after shooting this subject, I tapped the inflorescence and a small cloud of pollen was visible.

This subject was actually shot at 2 minute intervals for nearly a week. Th final video only used pictures shot over the final 36 hours and only used pictures shot at 6 minute intervals. This video also used "greenscreen effects" to simulate the subject's development in nature.