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Montana Field Guide

Montana Field Guides

Western Needlegrass - Stipa occidentalis
Other Names:  Achnatherum occidentale

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Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S4

Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:
MNPS Threat Rank:
C-value:

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General Description
Stems 20–40 cm. Leaves: blade 2–3 mm wide, hairless to somewhat hairy near the throat; ligule 0.5–1 mm long. Inflorescence a narrow contracted panicle 10–15 cm long. Spikelet 5–8 mm long. Lemmas appressed hairy, with an awn 3–4 cm long that is plumose in the lower portion (Lavin in Lesica 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Species Range
Present
 


Range Comments
Throughout much of western N. America (Lavin in Lesica 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Summary of Observations Submitted for Montana
Number of Observations: 38

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Habitat
Sagebrush steppe and other open dry settings in the mountains (Lavin in Lesica 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

References
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Citation for data on this website:
Western Needlegrass — Stipa occidentalis.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from