Mnesithea cylindrica

A similar grass, Mnesithea rugosa (wrinkled jointtail) also grows in coastal prairie but is restricted to wet sites. It has a flattened leaf sheath while those of M. cylindrica are round. May be confused with Rottobellia exaltata (itchgrass) which is bright green in color in contrast to the vivid purple of M. cylindrica.

Coelorachis cylindrica grows in small colonies on sandy soils throughout the South, often on disturbed sites. The seeds are heavy and do not appear to be disbursed far from the parent plant (Grelen and Hughes 1984). Found from Oklahoma and Texas in the west to South Carolina down to Florida in the east although it has not been reported in Alabama (USDA 1998).

Prairies and woods.