Pascopyrum smithii (Rydb.) Á. Löve
western bluegrass (bluestem wheatgrass; western wheatgrass)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
western bluegrass (bluestem wheatgrass; western wheatgrass)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
Species Information
General:
Perennial grass from conspicuous rhizomes; stems smooth, 20-100 cm tall.
Leaves:
Sheaths smooth; basal leaves in loose tufts, shorter than the stem leaves; blades 1-4.5 mm wide, 2-26 cm long, the leaves decreasing in length upwards, the nerves prominent on the upper surfaces; ligules up to 0.1 mm long, membranous; ear-shaped lobes at the leaf-bases 0.2-1 mm long, clasping the stems.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a terminal, 2-ranked spike, 5-17 cm long, 4-10 mm wide, with 1 spikelet per node, occasionally the spikelets paired; spikelets 2- to 12-flowered, 12-26 mm long; glumes lanceolate, unequal, rigid, somewhat curved, 5-15 mm long, 3-5 nerved from midlength or lower; lemmas 6-14 mm long, unawned or with awns 0.5-5 mm long.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Mid Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Summer to Fall
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Pascopyrum smithii
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
909 | 25 | 2089 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
12 | 0 | 65 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
178 | 40 | 270 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
3 | 2 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
41 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
AT(2), BWBS(1), CWH(2), IDF(21), PP(14), SBS(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Moist to mesic slopes in the steppe and montane zones; infrequent in BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains, locally common in NE BC (Peace River grasslands); E to PQ and S to ME, MA, NY, GA, TN, TX, NM, AZ, NV and OR.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Agropyron molle (Scribn. & J.G. Sm.) Rydb.
Agropyron smithii Rydb.
Agropyron smithii var. molle (Scribn. & J.G. Sm.) M.E. Jones
Agropyron smithii var. palmeri (Scribn. & J.G. Sm.) A. Heller
Agropyron smithii var. smithii
Elymus smithii (Rydb.) Gould
Elytrigia smithii (Rydb.) Nevski
Elytrigia smithii var. mollis (Scribn. & J.G. Sm.) Beetle