ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Agropyron smithii
 
 
 CLASS:    MONOCOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    CYPERALES
 FAMILY:   POACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Agropyron smithii
 AUTHORITY:  Rydb.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    COLORADO BLUESTEM
    WESTERN WHEAT GRASS
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: AGSM
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     PRAIRIE
       GRAVEL PRAIRIE
         DRY
         DRY-MESIC
         MESIC
       DOLOMITE PRAIRIE
         DRY
         DRY-MESIC
         MESIC
     CULTURAL
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     NO
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           BOONE           CARROLL         CASS            CHAMPAIGN
   COLES           COOK            CRAWFORD        DEKALB          DOUGLAS
   DUPAGE          EDGAR           FULTON          GREENE          GRUNDY
   HANCOCK         HENRY           JACKSON         JO DAVIESS      KANE
   KANKAKEE        KENDALL         LAKE            MCDONOUGH       MCHENRY
   MACON           MADISON         MENARD          MORGAN          PEORIA
   PIKE            PUTNAM          ST. CLAIR       SANGAMON        SCHUYLER
   SHELBY          STARK           STEPHENSON      TAZEWELL        VERMILION
   WILL            WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Monocot
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (rhizomes)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Parallel
    LEAF SHAPE:     Linear
    INFLORESCENCE:   Raceme  Spike
    FLOWER MEROUS:  3
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   Grain
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     This taxon has lemmas glabrous, scabrous, or pubescent
     near the base; leaves and culms have a silver-blue cast, and
     leaves have unique involute margins.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Introduced-  N. America
 
 GEOGRAPHIC COMMENTS:
     Species is occasional in northern 2/3, rare in southern 1/3
     of Illinois.
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Occasional
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Grasslike
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual   Vegetative
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     In Illinois, species is distributed mainly along railroads and in
     waste places, especially good in alkaline meadows.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MYCORRHIZAE:   endomycorrhizal
     NITROGEN FIXING   No
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     ALLERGENIC:  Yes
 
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:
     FOOD VALUE:  No data entered
     COVER VALUE:  No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK PALATABILITY DATA:
     CATTLE FORAGE: No data    SHEEP FORAGE:  No data    HORSE FORAGE:  No data
     GOAT FORAGE:   No data    ENERGY VALUE:  High       PROTEIN VALUE: Medium
     POISONOUS (LIVESTOCK):   No
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     Species provides good pasture grass in Great Plains and Pacific Northwest,
     where it is native.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Non-weedy
 
 
 REVEGATATION COMMENTS:
     Species is potentially a serious weed.
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1986.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Revised and enlarged edition.  Southern Illinois University Press,
     Carbondale.  507 pp.
 
 OTHER REFERENCES:
     Hitchcock, A.S. 1950. A Manual of the Grasses of the United States.
          United States Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C.
          1051 pp.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Agropyron smithii
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015