Stephen B. Monsen Richard Stevens Chapter Nancy Shaw 18 Grasses Grasses are adapted to a wide range of edaphic and climatic conditions and are found in nearly all plant communities. In the Western United States, grasses are seeded on disturbances to provide forage (Hull and Holmgren 1964; Vallentine 1989), wild- life habitat (Plummer and others 1968), and watershed stability (Cornelius 1946; Hafenrichter and others 1949; Piper 1934; Stewart and Young 1939). A number of introduced grass species proved well-suited to Western rangelands and received extensive use in early reseeding efforts (Barnes and others 1995; Hafenrichter and others 1968; Moser and others 1996). Use of these and other introductions continued over time, but by the late 1900s, greater emphasis was being placed on the use of native grasses (Roundy and others 1997). Selection of introduced and native grasses for Western range- lands began in the late nineteenth century. Excessive livestock grazing across the West followed early European settlement, resulting in widespread disturbances, weed invasions, and a need for revegetation species to stabilize watersheds and produce forage. A few species and accessions were introduced in the West before 1900 (Hanson 1959). Some arrived by chance (Weintraub USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-136. 2004 295 Chapter 18 Grasses Chapter Contents by Species Agropyron cristatum (Fairway Crested Wheatgrass) ....................................................................... 297 Agropyron dasystachyum (Thickspike Wheatgrass) ......................................................................... 318 Agropyron desertorum (Standard Crested Wheatgrass or Desert Crested Wheatgrass) ............... 320 Agropyron elongatum (Tall Wheatgrass) .......................................................................................... 325 Agropyron intermedium (Intermediate Wheatgrass) ....................................................................... 327 Agropyron sibiricum (Siberian Wheatgrass) ..................................................................................... 332 Agropyron smithii (Western Wheatgrass or Bluestem Wheatgrass) ............................................... 334 Agropyron spicatum (Bluebunch Wheatgrass).................................................................................. 337 Agropyron trachycaulum (Slender Wheatgrass) ............................................................................... 342 Agrostis stolonifera (Redtop or Carpet Bentgrass) ........................................................................... 345 Alopecurus arundinaceus (Creeping Foxtail or Reed Foxtail) ......................................................... 346 Alopecurus pratensis (Meadow Foxtail) ............................................................................................ 346 Aristida purpurea (Red Threeawn, Purple Threeawn) .................................................................... 349 Arrhenatherum elatius (Tall Oatgrass) ............................................................................................. 351 Bouteloua curtipendula (Sideoats Grama) ........................................................................................ 353 Bouteloua eriopoda (Black Grama) .................................................................................................... 355 Bouteloua gracilis (Blue Grama) ....................................................................................................... 356 Bromus anomalus (Nodding Brome) ................................................................................................. 358 Bromus ciliatus (Fringed Brome) ...................................................................................................... 358 Bromus carinatus (Mountain Brome, California Brome) ................................................................. 360 Bromus inermis (Smooth Brome, Hungarian Brome) ...................................................................... 363 Bromus riparius (Meadow Brome) .................................................................................................... 365 Dactylis glomerata (Orchardgrass) .................................................................................................... 367 Deschampsia caespitosa (Tufted Hairgrass) ..................................................................................... 369 Distichlis spicata (Inland Saltgrass) ................................................................................................. 371 Elymus canadensis (Canada Wildrye) ............................................................................................... 373 Elymus cinereus (Great Basin Wildrye) ............................................................................................ 374 Elymus glaucus (Blue Wildrye) ......................................................................................................... 377 Elymus junceus (Russian Wildrye) .................................................................................................... 379 Elymus salinus (Salina Wildrye) ....................................................................................................... 381 Elymus simplex (Alkali Wildrye or Low-Creeping Wildrye) ............................................................ 382 Elymus triticoides (Creeping Wildrye or Beardless Wildrye) .......................................................... 383 Festuca arundinacea (Tall Fescue, Reed Fescue, or Alta Fescue) ................................................... 384 Festuca idahoensis (Idaho Fescue or Bluebunch Fescue)................................................................. 386 Festuca ovina (Sheep Fescue or Alpine Fescue)................................................................................ 388 Hilaria jamesii (Galleta or Curly Grass)........................................................................................... 390 Koeleria macrantha (Prairie Junegrass) ........................................................................................... 392 Oryzopsis hymenoides (Indian Ricegrass) ......................................................................................... 393 Phalaris arundinacea (Reed Canarygrass) ....................................................................................... 396 Phleum alpinum (Alpine Timothy or Mountain Timothy) ............................................................... 398 Phleum pratense (Timothy) ................................................................................................................ 399 Poa ampla (Big Bluegrass)................................................................................................................. 401 Poa compressa (Canada Bluegrass) ................................................................................................... 402 Poa fendleriana (Mutton Bluegrass) ................................................................................................. 404 Poa pratensis (Kentucky Bluegrass) .................................................................................................. 406 Poa secunda (Sandberg Bluegrass).................................................................................................... 408 Sitanion hystrix (Squirreltail, bottlebrush) ...................................................................................... 410 Sporobolus airoides (Alkali Sacaton) ................................................................................................. 413 Sporobolus cryptandrus (Gray Sand Dropseed) ................................................................................ 414 Stipa columbiana (Subalpine Needlegrass or Columbia Needlegrass) ........................................... 416 Stipa comata (Needle-and-thread) .................................................................................................... 418 Stipa lettermanii (Letterman Needlegrass) ...................................................................................... 419 Stipa thurberiana (Thurber Needlegrass)......................................................................................... 421 Stipa viridula (Green Needlegrass) ................................................................................................... 422 296 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-136. 2004 Chapter 18 Grasses 1953); others were selected for specific uses and areas productive species and accessions that might, none- (Dillman 1946). Field testing and seeding trials for theless, be adapted to specific situations. With in- high-elevation disturbances were initiated at this time. creased efforts to reestablish native plant communi- Based on results of these trials, Williams (1898) de- ties, it became essential to more fully utilize the array scribed the values and uses of introduced forage grasses of species and populations adapted to the wide array of for the Eastern Rocky Mountains. environments encountered on Western rangelands. Seeding trials conducted by the Bureau of Plant Many native species have not been brought into seed Industry were initiated in 1902 (Cotton 1908). Forest production, but should be seeded in appropriate areas Service reseeding research utilizing forage species and maintained through proper management. Re- began in 1907 in cooperation with this agency (Sampson search is being conducted to develop seed transfer 1913). Ecological