Quail Plant Quiz: Grasses
Page 1: Introduction
Above: Screenshot of the introduction page, titled “Quail Plant of the Week Quiz: Grasses.” Features a photo of a scaled quail, and text next to a mouse icon stating “scroll over these interactive elements for hints.”
Page 2: Question 1
Above: Screenshot of question one, displaying two photos of a reddish-hued bunchgrass.
On this page:
- Hints:
- Native, perennial grass that grows between 2-4 feet tall
- Has blue-green leaves and stems in early summer that turn reddish-brown by late fall
- One of the “big four” tall grass species – the other four are Switchgrass, Indiangrass, and Big Bluestem
- Scientific name: Schizachyrium scoparium
- Question: “Which quail-friendly plant of the week is this?
- Sand Dropseed
- Switchgrass
- Little Bluestem
Page 3: Answer 1
Above: Screenshot of answer one, with text reading “Correct! Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), provides nesting cover for quail.”
Click here to review the YouTube video:
Page 4: Question 2
Above: Screenshot of question two, displaying three photos of a green grass with wide leaves in an alternate arrangement and a slender seedhead.
On this page:
- Hints:
- Alternate leaf arrangements
- Small hairs on leaf bases and sheaths
- Many spikelets on the inflorescence
- Scientific name: Urochloa ciliatissima
- Question: “Which quail-friendly plant of the week is this?
- Fringed Signalgrass
- Silver Bluestem
- Texas Wintergrass
Page 5: Answer 2
Above: Screenshot of answer two, with text reading “Correct! Fringed Signalgrass (Urochloa ciliatissima), provides nesting cover and harbors insects for quail to eat in addition to its seeds.”
Click here to review the YouTube video:
Page 6: Question 3
Above: Screenshot of question three, displaying two photos of a tall bunchgrass that has a pyramid-shaped seedhead.
On this page:
- Hints:
- Pyramid-shaped seed heads have purple spikelets
- Grows in clumps, typically between 3-6 feet tall
- Scientific name: Panicum virgatum
- Question: “Which quail-friendly plant of the week is this?”
- Sand Dropseed
- Perennial Threeawn
- Switchgrass
Page 7: Answer 3
Above: Screenshot of answer three, with text reading “Correct! Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), provides seeds and nesting cover for quail.”
Click here to review the YouTube video:
Page 8: Question 4
Above: Screenshot of question four, displaying two photos of a green bunchgrass with slender seedheads.
On this page:
- Hints:
- Tufted seedhead produces hard slick seeds
- Fine, scattered hairs are present at the leaf margins (Photo by Harry Rose CC BY 2.0)
- Grows in bunches between 24-60 inches tall
- Scientific name: Panicum coloratum
- Question: “Which quail-friendly plant of the week is this?”
- Sideoats Grama
- Kleingrass
- Sand Dropseed
Page 9: Answer 4
Above: Screenshot of answer four, with text reading “Correct! Kleingrass (Panicum coloratum), provides nesting substrate and food for quail.”
Click here to review the YouTube video:
Page 10: Question 5
Above: Screenshot of question five, displaying two photos of a grass that has purple-tinted inflorescence and a “flag leaf” pointing out at a right angle from the stem.
On this page:
- Hints:
- Distinct tuft of hair can be found around the collar of the leaf sheath
- Can grow up to 4 feet tall
- Each plant has a “flag leaf” pointing out at a right angle from the stem
- Scientific name: Sporobolus cryptandrus
- Question: “Which quail-friendly plant of the week is this?
- Switchgrass
- Sand Dropseed
- Plains Bristlegrass
Page 11: Answer 5
Above: Screenshot of answer five, with text reading “Correct! Sand Dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus), excellent source of forage for livestock, seeds are sometimes eaten by quail.”
Click here to review the YouTube video:
Page 12: Question 6
Above: Screenshot of question six, featuring two images of a bunchgrass with three distinct awns emerging from each seedhead in a cluster.
On this page:
- Hints:
- Three awns/bristles grow from each seedhead in a cluster
- Perennial bunchgrass
- Grows between 14-31 inches tall
- Scientific name: Aristida purpurea
- Question: “Which quail-friendly plant of the week is this?
- Perennial Threeawn
- Texas Wintergrass
- Plains Bristlegrass
Page 13: Answer 6
Above: Screenshot of answer six, with text reading “Correct! Perennial Threeawn (Aristida purpurea), provides nesting cover for northern bobwhite, scaled, and Montezuma quail.”
Click here to review the YouTube video:
Page 14: Question 7
Above: Screenshot of question seven, featuring two images of a grass with seedheads resembling wild oats.
On this page:
- Hints:
- Perennial grass that flowers from July-September
- Often found in the rocky soils of the Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains
- State grass of Texas
- Scientific name: Bouteloua curtipendula
- Question: “Which quail-friendly plant of the week is this?”
- Silver Bluestem
- Kleingrass
- Sideoats Grama
Page 15: Answer 7
Above: Screenshot of answer seven, with text reading “Correct! Sidoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), basketball-sized clumps can be good nesting cover for quail.”
Click here to review the YouTube video:
Page 16: Question 8
Above: Screenshot of question eight, featuring two images of a grass with fuzzy white seeds.
On this page:
- Hints:
- Seedhead contains silvery-white fuzzy seeds
- Perennial, warm season grass
- Grows between 18-42 inches tall
- Scientific name: Bothriochloa laguroides
- Question: “Which quail-friendly plant of the week is this?”
- Silver Bluestem
- Texas Wintergrass
- Little Bluestem
Page 17: Answer 8
Above: Screenshot of answer eight, with text reading “Correct! Silver Bluestem (Bothriochloa laguroides), provides excellent nesting cover for quail.”
Click here to review the YouTube video:
Page 18: Question 9
Above: Screenshot of question nine, featuring two images of a bunchgrass and its hard, slick seeds.
On this page:
- Hints:
- A half-inch bristle can be found below each seed (when attached to the plant)
- The slender seedhead is about 3-5 inches in length
- Perennial bunchgrass that grows 1-4 feet tall
- Scientific name: Setaria leucopila
- Question: “Which quail-friendly plant of the week is this?”
- Fringed Signalgrass
- Plains Bristlegrass
- Sand Dropseed
Page 19: Answer 9
Above: Screenshot of answer nine, with text reading “Correct! Plains Bristlegrass (Setaria leucopila), seeds are often eaten by quail.”
Click here to review the YouTube video:
Page 20: Question 10
Above: Screenshot of question ten, featuring two images of a green bunchgrass with long awns sprouting from the seedhead.
On this page:
- Hints:
- Perennial grass often found in the Edwards Plateau or South Texas Plains
- Grows throughout the winter, up to 12-35 inches
- The stiff seeds sprout long, twisted awns
- Scientific name: Nassella leucotricha
- Question: “Which quail-friendly plant of the week is this?
- Perennial Threeawn
- Texas Wintergrass
- Fringed Signalgrass
Page 21: Answer 10
Above: Screenshot of answer ten, with text reading “Correct! Texas Wintergrass (Nassella leucotricha), can provide nesting cover for quail if it does not grow too thick.”
Click here to review the YouTube video:
Page 22: Conclusion
Above: Screenshot of the conclusion page, featuring logos from the Reversing the Quail Decline Initiative, Texas A&M NRI, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
Text on this page:
- Thank You
- Click here to view all of our Plant of the Week videos.
- If you would like to share with us how you did, please take our quick survey here.
- Funding for this lesson was provided through the Reversing the Decline of Quail Initiative and the Upland Game Bird Stamp Fund, based on a collaborative effort between Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.