Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Agropyron cristatum
crested wheatgrass
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across much of North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Dry, open areas where distiurbed; frequently planted for soil stabilization and forage.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Introduced from Eurasia

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Description:
General:

Tufted perennial without rhizomes, 5-10 dm. tall.

Leaves:

Sheaths open, mostly glabrous; ligules 1 mm. long; blades flat, usually pubescent on the lower surface, 2-5 mm. broad.

Flowers:

Inflorescence a dense spike 3-9 cm. long, the rachis pubescent; spikelets sessile and solitary, several times longer than the internodes, spreading-ascending, 7-12 mm. long, mostly 5- to 7-flowered; glumes and lemmas with awns 2-4 mm. long.

Fruits:

Utricle

Accepted Name:
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.
Publication: Novi Commentarii Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae 14(1) 1770 I. 540. 1770.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. ssp. pectinatum (M. Bieb.) Tzvelev
Agropyron pectiniforme Roem. & Schult. [HC]
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Agropyron cristatum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Agropyron cristatum checklist entry

OregonFlora: Agropyron cristatum information

E-Flora BC: Agropyron cristatum atlas page

CalPhotos: Agropyron cristatum photos

32 photographs:
Group by