Native Plant Society of Texas Dallas Chapter: A Celebration of Native Prairie Grasses - Dallas

Rich Jaynes will present: Into the Prairie: A Celebration of Native Prairie Grasses. This presentation gives an overview of the role of native grasses in contributing to the high biodiversity of native tallgrass prairies. Experiences with native prairie surveys and prairie restoration efforts in the Connemara Meadow Preserve are used to illustrate approaches to helping visitors to better appreciate the central role of the tallgrass prairie in the ecological and cultural history of north central Texas. The “miracle” of the native prairie that is part of the Old Frankford Cemetery will be highlighted. We will discuss basic terms that botanists use to describe and differentiate one grass species from another and will review some distinguishing morphological features and ecological attributes of 10 famous native grasses of the Blackland Prairie.