Tripsacum

A tall, broad-leaved bunchgrass. In late summer its flower stalks are topped with corn-like "tassels" bearing pink, fuzzy "silks". A component of the North American tall grass prairie. The leaves in fall turn an attractive golden color with reddish tones. The bruised foliage smells like freshly husked sweet corn, evidence of the plants' genetic similarities. Breeding work is underway in an attempt to develop this plant into a perennial grain crop. The species is highly variable in form; this selection is from Kansas. Grows naturally in wet soils, but does well in under dryer conditions also.