Koeleria macrantha (Ledeb.) Schult.
junegrass (prairie Junegrass)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
junegrass (prairie Junegrass)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial, strongly tufted grass from fibrous roots; stems smooth to soft-hairy, (20) 30-60 cm tall.
Leaves:
Sheath margins usually not overlapping above, the collars often with long, straight hairs 1-1.5 mm long; blades 1-2 (4.5) mm wide, 2-6 (20) cm long, sometimes flat, but usually folded to in-rolled, usually rough to densely hairy or short stiff-hairy or both, rarely smooth, often greyish, the margins at the insertions often with long, straight hairs 1-1.5 mm long, the tips strongly prowlike; ligules 0.5-2 mm long, strongly hairy, jagged to nearly entire, more or less fringed with fine hairs.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a spikelike panicle, 4-13 cm long, the short branches spreading at flowering; spikelets 2- (3- or 4-) flowered; glumes unawned or rarely awn-tipped, the lower ones 3.5 mm long, the upper ones 4-6 mm long, somewhat wider than the lower ones and about equalling or slightly exceeding the lower florets, sparsely to copiously rough short-hairy; lemmas 3.5-5 mm long, minutely rough to short-hairy, unawned or awn-tipped; anthers about 2 (2.5) mm long.
Notes:
A general consensus has yet to be reached regarding which name is best for this species. For a discussion of the problems involved see Hitchcock et al. (1969609) and Holmgren and Holmgren (1977254).
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:
Late Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present over the Summer
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Koeleria macrantha
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) |
961 | 122 | 2480 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
25 | 0 | 360 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
191 | 0 | 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: |
2485 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
At(1), BG(425), BWBS(13), CDF(1), CWH(1), ESSF(152), ICH(62), IDF(1092), IMA(3), MS(108), PP(404), SBPS(47), SBS(36), SWB(4) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Dry rocky or grassy slopes and forest openings in the steppe to subalpine zones; common in SC and SE BC, less frequent in SW and N BC; circumpolar, N to AK, YT and SW NT, E to Labr. and S to ME, NY, OH, AL, MS, TX, NM, AZ, CA and MX; Eurasia.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Koeleria albescens auct.
Koeleria cristata auct. non Pers. p.p.
Koeleria cristata var. longifolia Vasey ex Burtt Davy
Koeleria cristata var. pinetorum Abrams
Koeleria gracilis Pers.
Koeleria macrantha
Koeleria macrantha
Koeleria nitida Nutt.
Koeleria pyramidata auct. non (Lam.) P. Beauv. p.p.
Koeleria yukonensis Hultén