''Xerophyllum tenax'' is a

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

n species of plants in the corn lily family.Calflora taxon report, University of California, ''Xerophyllum tenax'' (Pursh) Nutt. beargrass, common beargrass
/ref> It is known by several common names, including bear grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass.

Ecology

''Xerophyllum tenax'' has flowers with six sepals and six stamens borne in a terminal raceme. The plant is a perennial herb that can grow to 15–150 cm in height. It grows in bunches with the leaves wrapped around and extending from a small stem at ground level. The leaves are 30–100 cm long and 2–6 mm wide, dull olive green with toothed edges. The slightly fragrant white flowers emerge from a tall stalk that bolts from the base. When the flowers are in bloom they are tightly packed at the tip of the stalk like an upright club. It produces small, tan coloured seeds that will germinate after a cold period of 12 to 16 weeks. The plant is found mostly in western

from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

south to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and east to

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, in

subalpine meadow Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

s and coastal mountains, and also on low ground in the California coastal fog belt as far south as

Monterey County Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas. Montere ...

. It is common on the

Olympic Peninsula The Olympic Peninsula is a large arm of land in western Washington that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, and contains Olympic National Park. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the ...

and in the Cascades, northern

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

and

Rockies The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Can ...

. ''Xerophyllum tenax'' is an important part of the fire ecology of regions where it is native. It has

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s which survive fire that clears dead and dying plant matter from the surface of the ground. The plant thrives with periodic burns and is often the first plant to sprout in a scorched area. Its fibrous leaves, which turn from green to white as they dry, are tough, durable, and easily dyed and manipulated into tight waterproof weaves.Plants for a Future, ''Xerophyllum tenax'' - (Purs.)Nutt.
/ref> Xerophyllum_tenax_1111

Depending on site-specific and environmental conditions, plants may bloom every year or only once every decade, though back-to-back blooming of individual plants is rare. It is a common myth that beargrass blooms every seven years, but depending on conditions such as moisture and temperatures there are periodically large concentrations of blooms. Deer and elk eat the flower and other parts of the plant. Bears eat the softer leaf bases.

Uses

The Hupa people use this plant to create a border pattern in baskets. This species has long been used by Native Americans who weave it in baskets, and historically, roasted the rootstock for food; they also ate the pods, which are good cooked. They also braid dried leaves and adorn them on traditional buckskin dresses and jewelry.Campbell, Paul Douglas 1999 ''Survival Skills of Native California''. Gibbs Smith (p. 209)

References

External links

Jepson Flora Project: ''Xerophyllum tenax''Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center, University of TexasMontana Plant LifeTurner Photographics, Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest
* ttp://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Xerophyllum Pacific Bulb Society, ''Xerophyllum'' {{Taxonbar, from=Q1019121 Melanthiaceae Edible plants Flora of Western Canada Plants described in 1813 Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora of the Southwestern United States Flora without expected TNC conservation status