''Eriocoma thurberiana'' is a species of

grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...

known by the common name Thurber's needlegrass. It is native to the western United States, where it occurs from

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and east to

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

and

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

.Archer, Amy J. 2000
''Achnatherum thurberianum''.
In: Fire Effects Information System, nline U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. This is a tufted perennial grass with erect stems reaching about 75 centimeters in maximum height. The tuft of stems may be circular in shape as the stems in the center die first. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is a narrow

panicle In botany, a panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a p ...

up to 15 centimeters long by 2.5 wide. The spikelet has a sharp tip and a long, hairy awn which may exceed 5''Achnatherum thurberianum''.
Grass Manual Treatment.''Achnatherum thurberianum''.
Jepson Manual Treatment. to 10''Achnatherum thurberianum''.
The Nature Conservancy. centimeters in length. This is a common grass in many plant communities in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

and

Great Basin The Great Basin () is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets to the ocean, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja Californi ...

in the US. It is a dominant species in many areas, and may grow alongside other common grasses such as bluebunch wheatgrass (''Pseudoroegneria spicata''), Idaho fescue (''Festuca idahoensis''), and needle-and-thread grass (''Hesperostipa comata''). It can be found in sagebrush and pinyon-juniper woodland. It is a

climax species Climax species, also called late seral, late-successional, K-selected or equilibrium species, are plant species that can germinate and grow with limited resources; e.g., they need heat exposure or low water availability. They are the species wi ...

, occurring in undisturbed plant communities. This grass provides food for livestock and wildlife. It is forage for cattle, sheep, and wild horses. Black-tailed jackrabbits often consume it. Juvenile

pronghorn The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American ante ...

eat the grass when it is young. Many grazing animals avoid the grass when it matures, because the spikelets are sharp and hard. At this point the seeds are consumed by birds and small mammals. Some animals, such as the

Sage Grouse Sage-grouse are grouse belonging to the bird genus ''Centrocercus.'' The genus includes two species: the Gunnison grouse (''Centrocercus minimus'') and the greater sage-grouse (''Centrocercus urophasianus''). These birds are distributed throug ...

, use the grass for cover.

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile for ''Achnatherum thurberianum'' (Thurber's needlegrass)Jepson Manual treatment for ''Achnatherum thurberianum''CalPhotos Photo Gallery
{{Taxonbar, from1= Q89003829, from2=Q4673862 thurberiana Bunchgrasses of North America Grasses of the United States Native grasses of California Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Great Basin Flora of Nevada Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Plants described in 1900