Zuloagaea bulbosa

Bulb Panicgrass

A wild stand of Zuloagaea bulbosa, common name Bulb Panicgrass.

Bulb Panicgrass in a more spike-like panicle.

Here, small oval spikelets sit on dry, open panicles.

Zuloagaea bulbosa seadheads are sometimes sparce like this, especially when old.

The spikelets can be violet or red when the grass grows in the sun.

The bulbous roots are a great field mark and it requires you to dig up the plant.

How to Identify Bulb Panicgrass

  This hip to head-high grass is a tufted perennial of the mountains. It is identified by bulbous roots and the oval spikelets dotting its 4 to 18-inch pyramidal panicle. There are eleven similar Arizona grasses in the subfamily Panicoideae, the Panic Grasses. But this is the only one with bulbous roots--check several plants because sometimes the roots are not bulbous.

Similar Species

  There are many similar species with little oval seeds in Arizona but only this one has bulbous roots. First find the oval spikelets, then check the roots of several plants. Another Panic Grass is called Witchgrass or Panicum capillare. It has the little round seeds but its panicles are sparcer and look quite delicate as this photo shows.