Single Record
Participant Info
- Species
- Phalaris arundinacea [Phalaroides arundinacea] [Arundo colorata] [Baldingera arundinacea] etc.
- Family
- Poaceae
- CommonName
- reed canary grass, ribbon grass, gardener's garters
- Presence
- yes
- Status
- native, noxious
- EarliestDate
- 1985
- LatestDate
- 2025
- Ecosystem
- basin, montane
- Geobotanical
- Garitas, SSanjuans, NCristos, UBasin
- Counties
- Hinsdale, Rio Grande, Saguache
- Passes
- WildlifePreserves
- Other Localities
- PhotoRecords
- YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, CO Bank of side channel of the Rio Grande, Del Norte 1 Aug 2025
- Comments
- So far reed canary grass has been vouchered from four locations in the Watershed: in San Luis Creek three miles southeast of Villa Grove (Saguache Co, 1997), by a stream in woodlands 1.5 air miles southwest of South Fork (Rio Grande Co, 2003), at the junction of Beaver Creek and Cross Creek southwest of South Fork (Rio Grande Co, 2012), and by a side channel of the Rio Grande in Del Norte (Rio Grande Co, 2025). Phalaris arundinacea, perennial and cool-season, has vigorous rhizomes and disperses also by seed, and is often considered invasive and noxious. The high-desert climate of the Watershed may inhibit its spread there. It is present in all USA states except for those of the Deep South. It follows the Rio Grande drainage only through two northern counties of New Mexico. Note that P. arundinacea has psychedelic compounds (such as hordenine) and can be used to make ayahuasca, a brew still being imbibed, for instance, in spiritual retreats in Colorado to promote "self discovery and awakening."
- Annotation