Participant Info

Species

Poa fendleriana [Atropis enleriana] [Eragrostis fendleriana] [Panicularia fendleriana] etc.

Family

Poaceae

CommonName

muttongrass, longtongue muttongrass

Presence

yes

Status

native

EarliestDate

1890

LatestDate

2024

Ecosystem

foothill, montane, subalpine

Geobotanical

SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos

Counties

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

Passes

Cochetopa, Cumbres, La Veta

WildlifePreserves

Great Sand Dunes

Other Localities

PhotoRecords

Alec Outchoa 6.5 km NNE of Terrace Reservoir 21 March 2024

Comments

Muttongrass has been one of the most commonly collected grasses from the Watershed. Poa fendleriana, perennial and cool-season, is found in all mountain ranges, east and west. It ranges from foothill to subalpine, and usually prefers open habitats, being not tolerant of permanent shade. Note that Poa fendleriana is dioecious. Most common are populations that are apomictic, with only pistillate plants present. The USA population includes the Desert Southwest, the Intermountain region, and the Rocky Mountains. The species follows the Rio Grande drainage solidly down to and including the Big Bend region of Texas, but no farther down stream.

Annotation