Single Record

Participant Info

Species
Calamagrostis purpurascens [Calamagrostis lepageana] [Calamagrostis maltei] etc.
Family
Poaceae
CommonName
purple reedgrass
Presence
yes
Status
native
EarliestDate
1911
LatestDate
2025
Ecosystem
montane, subalpine, tundra
Geobotanical
SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos
Counties
Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache
Passes
WildlifePreserves
Big Meadows Reservoir
Other Localities
Comments
Purple reedgrass—perennial and cool-season—has been fairly often collected from the montane, subalpine, and tundra in all mountain regions of the Watershed. Calamagrostis purpurascens prefers dry rocky slopes, unlike the other wide-spread species in the Watershed, Calamagrostis canadensis. Again the awn is a crucial determinant trait, rising from the base of the lemma and twisted within the lemma and geniculate beyond it. The species is found in all Western USA states with the exception of Arizona. It follows the Rio Grande drainage just barely into New Mexico, no farther down stream