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Shortleaf Skeleton-grass

Gymnopogon brevifolius

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in pine savannas, sandhills, dry woodlands, prairies, calcareous glades, typically in dry sandy or clay hardpan soils. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

15
Modest

Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height
Up to about 3 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
July to December

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 12 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Glades, barrens and outcrops on limestone

Standing water, Flat Rock Cedar Glades and Barrens SNA, Rutherford County
Standing water on a limestone glade. Shown: Flat Rock Cedar Glades and Barrens State Natural Area, Rutherford County, Tennessee, a neighboring state.Standing water, Flat Rock Cedar Glades and Barrens SNA, Rutherford County, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Prairies and grasslands

Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

1CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Gymnopogon

  • Amblyscirtes alternataDusky Roadside-Skipper, Least Florida Skipper, Dusky Little Skipper;
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Poaceae
Flower color
Green or brown
Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Short Leaf Skeleton Grass; Shortleaf Skeleton grass

Conservation status

Arkansas rankS2
Global rankG5
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Sources