Hesperostipa comata (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth subsp. comata
needle-and-thread grass (needle and thread)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
needle-and-thread grass (needle and thread)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Map
Distribution of Hesperostipa comata subsp. comata
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Species Information
General:
Perennial, tufted grass from fibrous roots; stems erect, 30-70 cm tall.
Leaves:
Sheaths smooth to rough, strongly ribbed, not fringed along the margins; blades in-rolled and 0.5-2 mm wide, or if flat, up to 4 mm wide; ligules of the upper leaves to 7 mm long, usually pointed, sometimes jagged at the tips.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a loose, but narrow panicle, 10-28 cm long, the branches ascending; glumes narrow, nearly equal, papery; lower glumes 18-35 mm long, upper glumes 1-3 mm shorter; lemmas 7-13 mm long, evenly covered with 1 mm-long white hairs or smooth across the back of the lemma, awned, the awns firm and straight or zig-zagged and curved, 5-30 cm long; calluses 2-4 mm long, hairy.
Notes:
Two subspecies occur in BC:
1. Terminal segment of the awn firm, straight or almost so, usually less than 5.5 cm long.................... ssp. intermedia (Scribn. & Tweedy) Barkw.
1. Terminal segment of the awn zig-zagged, curved, usually more than 5.5 cm long................... ssp. comata
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
White
Blooming Period:
Early Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: White
Present from Summer to Fall
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Hesperostipa comata ssp. comata
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) |
681 | 225 | 2030 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
19 | 0 | 170 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
198 | 2 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
2 | 0 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
730 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
BG | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BG(420), BWBS(4), ESSF(3), IDF(143), MS(1), PP(116) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Dry, open grassy slopes in the steppe and montane zones; common in SC and SE BC, infrequent northward; N to YT, E to PQ and S to NY, MI, IL, IA, TX, NM, AZ and CA.Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Hesperostipa comata var. comata (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth
Stipa comata Trin. & Rupr.
Stipa comata subsp. intonsa Piper