I stayed in New Jersey last week, and one of the more important stops I made was to visit my Dad, who passed away a few years back and now rests amidst a serene landscape of vast, well maintained lawns and a few stately trees.
It was cold, and windy, but I had been to this place many times before, and the peacefulness of the setting never failed to induce a profound calm in my soul.
But this time I felt some excitement stirring within me.
It’s been awhile since I have concentrated on the Poaceae, as my work has shifted to being a pheidologist, but I certainly paid attention when I noticed a vast and searingly beautiful field of red grass behind the stately mausoleum.
The field stretched seemingly from horizon to horizon, a never-ending swathe of red that sat beneath an azure sky.
I walked the lawn and came close to the field, and realized that its main component was my old friend, Schizachyrium scoparium (also called little bluestem in the USA)!
I had been to this location many times before, and even during this time period, but this was the first time I had seen this species, and in such staggering numbers. It was a pity that I had not brought my DJI drone with me, or I would have viewed the field from above, if only to gaze in awe at its expanse.
Was this species always here? Or did it somehow expand dramatically due to some change in the environment? I seem to remember the field was a bit more diverse in the past, and certainly less monotypic, so perhaps S. scoparium had indeed surged forth and vanquished its competitors.
I look forward to seeing it again the next time I am here.
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