Midwest Sand Barren

This is an open and dry habitat which is dependent on fire. This habitat is harsh, trees are rare- even absent and sand blowouts are not uncommon. Grasses and sedges are the dominant vegetation including Junegrass Koeleria macrantha , little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium, purple three-awned grass Aristida purpurescens, low sand sedge Carex rugosperma, slender umbrella-sedge (slender sand sedge) Cyperus lupulinus, and Muhlenberg’s sedge Carex muhlenbergia. Forbs include plains puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense, dwarf dandelion Krigia virginica, flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata, hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata, round-headed bush-clover Lespedeza capitata , wild lupine Lupinus perennis , eastern prickly pear cactus Opuntia humifusa, and gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis. Sand cherry Prunus pumila var. cuneata is one of the few woody species in this community.