Single Record
Participant Info
- Species
- Eriocoma nelsonii [Achnatherum nelsonii] [Stipa minor] [Stipa nelsonii] etc.
- Family
- Poaceae
- CommonName
- Columbia needlegrass, Nelson's needlegrass, subalpine needlegrass
- Presence
- yes
- Status
- native
- EarliestDate
- 1896
- LatestDate
- 2013
- Ecosystem
- foothill, montane, subalpine
- Geobotanical
- SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras
- Counties
- Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, Archuleta, San Juan
- Passes
- Cumbres, La Veta
- WildlifePreserves
- Other Localities
- PhotoRecords
- Comments
- NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. In the Watershed, Nelson's needlegrass has been vouchered often, although more so from the west-side mountain ranges than the east-side. The habitat is most often conifer forest or dry meadows at the montane level. Eriocoma nelsonii (usually under the name Achnatherum nelsonii) does extend up into the subalpine. The species is difficult to tell from E. lettermanii, with which it is sympatric through much of its Watershed range. Allred et al. (2020) also note that in New Mexico nearly all the specimens reported as "Eriocoma nelsonii" refer to Eriocoma perplexa. In the USA, E. nelsonii is wide spread through all Western states. According to BONAP (2025), the species follows the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico into the western tip of Texas, but no farther down stream. Allred et al. (2020), however, says that when "accurately reported" E. nelsonii has been found only in the northern two counties of New Mexico.
- Annotation