More info for the terms: association, forb, forbs, graminoid, shrub, tussock
Bottlebrush squirreltail is a common component of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)/grass
communities of the Intermountain shrubsteppe [109,212].
Within rangelands of Utah, Nevada, southern Idaho, and western Wyoming, bottlebrush squirreltail
commonly grows under and adjacent to shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), black greasewood
(Sarcobatus vermiculatus), and green rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus)
[161]. Bottlebrush
squirreltail is a common component of pinyon-juniper (Pinus spp.-Juniperus spp.)
communities of the Great Basin. It occurs mostly within the mountain ranges of Nevada and Utah,
and to a lesser extent in California and Idaho [191].
Arizona:
Bottlebrush squirreltail occurs in northern desert shrub communities [137] and
ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests [39,137]. Within aspen (Populus tremuloides)-bunchgrass
communities of northern Arizona, bottlebrush squirreltail commonly occurs with
Arizona fescue (Festuca arizonica), mountain muhly (Muhlenbergia montana), western yarrow
(Achillea millefolium), lupine (Lupinus spp.), fleabane (Erigeron spp.) and
American vetch (Vicia americana) [86]. Bottlebrush squirreltail is occasionally found
in openings and under shrub canopies within shrub live oak (Quercus turbinella)-mixed shrub
communities [173].
California:
Bottlebrush squirreltail is native to California's central valley
and is commonly associated with purple tussock grass (Nassella
pulchra), nodding tussock grass (N. cernua), smallflower tussockgrass
(N. lepida), and shooting star (Dodecatheon
spp.) [14].
It is a minor component of blue oak (Quercus douglasii) [28,126] and interior live oak
(Q. wislizenii) habitats [126].
Within sagebrush scrub of the White Mountains, prairie Junegrass
(Koeleria macrantha), muhly (Muhlenbergia spp.) and timberline bluegrass (Poa
glauca spp. rupicola) are common associates [130]. Within alluvial
fans of desert shrub communities, bottlebrush squirreltail is commonly associated
with Indian
ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides)
and desert needlegrass (A. speciosum). Shrub associates of bottlebrush squirreltail
include California jointfir (Ephedra californica), goldenfleece (Ericameria arborescens),
white burrobrush (Hymenoclea salsola), and purple sage (Salvia dorrii) [135].
Bottlebrush squirreltail occasionally occurs in alpine flora of the Sierra Nevada eastern
slope [40]. It is also an occasional understory species of California red fir (Abies magnifica)
forests in the Sierra Nevada [155].
Colorado:
Bottlebrush squirreltail is a member
of north-central Colorado's short-grass prairie [45,57,175]. Within the short-grass
prairie, bottlebrush squirreltail is commonly associated with western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii),
purple threeawn (Aristida purpurea), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula),
blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides), and needle-and-thread
grass (Hesperostipa comata) [57]. It occurs in blue grama ranges of Colorado
along with sun sedge (Carex heliophila), sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus),
and purple threeawn [139].
Within Colorado pinyon-Utah juniper (Pinus edulis-Juniperus osteosperma) habitats of Colorado, bottlebrush squirreltail
is associated with Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii), Utah serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis),
true mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), fendlerbush (Fendlera rupicola),
banana yucca (Yucca baccata), and antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata). Grass
associates include cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Indian ricegrass, mutton grass
(Poa fendleriana), and brome grasses (Bromus spp.) [67].
Bottlebrush squirreltail is an occasional associate of Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine
(Pinus aristata) [162].
Idaho:
Bottlebrush squirreltail is a dominant species in shadscale communities of south-central
Idaho [174], along with Indian ricegrass [189].
Montana:
Bottlebrush squirreltail generally occurs as scattered plants on rangelands [150].
In the eastern plains of Montana, bottlebrush squirreltail is a dominant species
of saline rangelands in association with alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides),
western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), thickspike wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus), inland saltgrass
(Distichlis stricta), Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda), and basin wildrye
(Leymus cinereus). Shrub associates include black greasewood and
Nuttall's saltbush (Atriplex nuttallii).
Nevada:
Bottlebrush squirreltail occurs
in gray low sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula) and big sagebrush (A. tridentata)
communities. Principal grass associates include cheatgrass [24], Sandberg bluegrass [24,25],
bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata), and Thurber needlegrass (Achnatherum thurberianum).
Common shrub associates include green rabbitbrush and
gray horsebrush (Tetradymia canescens). Forb associates include bird's-beak
(Cordylanthus ramosus), mourning milkvetch (Astragalus atratus),
woollypod milkvetch (Astragalus purshii),
desert yellow fleabane (Erigeron linearis), lava aster (Lonactis alpina),
Heerman's buckwheat (Eriogonum heermanii), tail cup lupine (Lupinus caudatus)
and phlox (Phlox longifolia) [25].
In northeastern Nevada bottlebrush squirreltail is commonly found with black sagebrush
(Artemisia nova) [107,219], shadscale, Nevada ephedra (Ephedra nevadensis),
Sandberg bluegrass and Indian ricegrass [107].
Bottlebrush squirreltail
also occurs in shadscale communities [24,145]. Common shrub associates include green molly
(Kochia americana), winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata), budsage
(Artemisia spinescens) and spiny hopsage (Grayia spinosa )
[145]. Common grass associates are cheatgrass, Indian ricegrass
[24] and galleta (Pleuraphis jamesii) [145]. Several common forb associates are
salt lover
(Halogeton glomeratus), Adonis blazingstar (Mentzelia multiflora) and gooseberryleaf
globemallow (Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia). Bottlebrush squirreltail is also common to
juniper (Juniperus spp.) and greasewood communities [24].
Bottlebrush squirreltail is found in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp.
wyomingensis) rangelands of Nevada [23].
Oregon:
Eastern Oregon grass associates of bottlebrush squirreltail include bluebunch wheatgrass,
prairie Junegrass [31], Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis),
Thurber needlegrass [31,59], Sandberg bluegrass and
cheatgrass. Common forbs include Hood's phlox (Phlox hoodii) and
maiden blue eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora) [59]. Bottlebrush squirreltail
occurs in lodgepole pine stands in the
Cascades of Oregon [61], along with western needlegrass (Achnatherum occidentale)
and Ross' sedge (Carex rossii) [65].
Texas:
In western Texas bottlebrush squirreltail occurs in Pinchot juniper (Juniperus pinchotii)
rangelands with sideoats grama, buffalo grass,
slim tridens (Tridens muticus), awnless bushsunflower (Simsia calva) and
plains fleabane (Erigeron modestus) [143].
Utah:
Bottlebrush squirreltail is common in salt-desert shrub ranges along with the shrubs
shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), mat saltbush (A. corrugata), fourwing
saltbush (A. canescens), valley saltbush (A. cunneata), greasewood,
winterfat, spiny hopsage, budsage, black sagebrush and
green rabbitbrush. Common grasses include Indian ricegrass,
Sandberg bluegrass, galleta,
alkali sacaton, sand dropseed, and
blue grama. Bottlebrush squirreltail is also
found in pinyon-juniper woodlands [29], ponderosa pine savannas [148] along with
dry Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and mixed conifer habitats [29].
Wyoming:
Bottlebrush squirreltail commonly occurs in big sagebrush steppe along with
aspen, big sagebrush, mountain snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus),
Utah serviceberry, rose (Rosa spp.),
Scouler's willow (Salix scouleriana),
and Oregon-grape (Mahonia repens). Common forb associates include
rosy pussytoes (Antennaria microphylla), arrowleaf buckwheat
(Eriogonum compositum), pineywoods geranium (Geranium caespitosum) and
northern bedstraw (Galium boreale). Graminoid associates include needle-and-thread grass,
Columbia needlegrass (Achnatherum nelsonii), and elk sedge (Carex geyeri) [36].
Classifications describing plant communities in which bottlebrush squirreltail is a dominant species are as
follows:
Idaho [97]
California [218]
Colorado [119]
New Mexico [94,146]
Nevada [24,25,107,125,192,221]
Oregon [59,101,197]
Utah [151,203]
Wyoming [186]