Plants cespitose. Culms 30-60 cm, erect; lower nodes sometimes
hispid. Sheaths scabridulous, rounded; ligules 0.4-1 mm,
membranous, ciliate; blades 1-4 mm wide, flat, apices attenuate. Panicles 10-28
cm long, 1-6 cm wide; branches (2)4-13 cm, widely-spaced, ascending
to spreading; pedicels 1-2 mm. Spikelets 7-10 mm, pale
to dark purple, with 2-5 florets. Glumes 1-veined; lower glumes 4-5(6)
mm; upper
glumes slightly shorter; lemmas 4-6 mm, midveins and back pubescent
below midlength, lateral veins pubescent to well above midlength, midveins
occasionally excurrent, lateral veins usually ending before the distal
margins, rarely excurrent;
paleas 3.5-4 mm, veins pubescent basally; anthers 1.5-2 mm. Caryopses
about 2.5 mm. 2n = 32, but this may be erroneous (Gould 1975).
Tridens buckleyanus is endemic to the southeastern portion of the Edwards
Plateau, Texas. It grows on rocky slopes along shaded stream banks and the borders
of woodlands.
