Species: Achnatherum thurberianum

Thurber's Needlegrass
Species

    Thurber's Needlegrass is tufted grass 20-70 cm tall arising from fibrous roots. The leaves are 1-2.2 mm broad but strongly involute, and the membranous ligule is 2-5 mm long, acute to truncate. The panicle is 7-13 cm long, usually erect, with glumes 9-14 mm long, and equal or subequal. The awn is twice geniculate, over 10 cm long, and with hairs 1-2 mm long on all but the terminal segment.

    Kingdom
    Plantae
    Phylum
    Anthophyta
    Class

    Monocotyledoneae

    Order

    Cyperales

    Family

    Poaceae

    Genus

    Achnatherum

    Classification
    Other Global Common Names
    Thurber's needlegrass
    Informal Taxonomy
    Plants, Vascular - Flowering Plants - Grass Family
    Formal Taxonomy
    Plantae - Anthophyta - Monocotyledoneae - Cyperales - Poaceae - Achnatherum

    Thurber's Needlegrass is tufted grass 20-70 cm tall arising from fibrous roots. The leaves are 1-2.2 mm broad but strongly involute, and the membranous ligule is 2-5 mm long, acute to truncate. The panicle is 7-13 cm long, usually erect, with glumes 9-14 mm long, and equal or subequal. The awn is twice geniculate, over 10 cm long, and with hairs 1-2 mm long on all but the terminal segment.

    Reproduction Comments
    Reproduces by seed and tillers (Archer 2000).
    Ecology Comments
    Common plant associates throughout the range of Thurber's needlegrass include <i>Artemisia tridentata</i>,<i> Artemisia arbuscula</i>, <i>Poa secunda</i>, <i>Elymus elymoides</i>, and <i>Bromus tectorum</i> (Archer 2000).<br><br>Thurber's needlegrass is "moderately" resistant to fire. It can suffer severe damage when abundant aboveground vegetation of needlegrass continues to burn below the soil surface, causing subsurface charring. Fire-enhanced flowering is one adaptation to fire. Postburn regeneration is typically by seed (Archer 2000).
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G5
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    1987-09-29
    Global Status Last Changed
    1987-09-29
    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S1&US.CA=SNR&US.ID=SNR&US.MT=SU&US.NV=S4&US.OR=SNR&US.UT=S1&US.WA=SNR" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.140351