Participant Info

Species

Koeleria macrantha [Koeleria cristata subsp. macrantha] [Aira macrantha]

Family

Poaceae

CommonName

prairie junegrass

Presence

yes

Status

native

EarliestDate

1896

LatestDate

2025

Ecosystem

basin, shrubland, foothill, montane, subalpine

Geobotanical

SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos, UBasin, LBasin

Counties

Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan

Passes

Poncha

WildlifePreserves

Baca, Big Meadows Reservoir, Blanca Wetlands, Great Sand Dunes, Rio Grande

Other Localities

La Botica

PhotoRecords

YES Mary E. McDonald: Conejos Co, north of Fox Creek 2 June 2025

Comments

Often collected from basin to subalpine, prairie junegrass grows in all mountain ranges of the Valley, although much more commonly on the west side. Koeleria macrantha, perennial and cool-season, tends to be scattered on rocky slopes and forest openings, not thriving in large communities. The one Lower Basin occurrence (Conejos Co, 1986) came from Flat Top in the San Luis Hills. The USA distribution is predominantly Western states, upper Great Plains, and upper mid-West. The species follows the Rio Grande drainage solidly through New Mexico and on down to the Big Bend country of Texas but no farther down stream.

Annotation