Achnatherum lettermanii
Encyclopedia
Achnatherum lettermanii is a species of grass
known by the common name Letterman's needlegrass. It is native to the western United States from California
to Montana
to New Mexico
, where it is a resident of several types of habitat.
Achnatherum lettermanii is a tufting perennial bunchgrass which forms large clumps of erect stems up to about 80 centimeters tall. The leaves are short and slightly curly. The inflorescence
is up to about 19 centimeters long and has open branches with few spikelets. Each spikelet is less than a centimeter long but has an awn which can be up to about 2.5 centimeters in length. The awn has two kinks.
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
known by the common name Letterman's needlegrass. It is native to the western United States from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, where it is a resident of several types of habitat.
Achnatherum lettermanii is a tufting perennial bunchgrass which forms large clumps of erect stems up to about 80 centimeters tall. The leaves are short and slightly curly. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is up to about 19 centimeters long and has open branches with few spikelets. Each spikelet is less than a centimeter long but has an awn which can be up to about 2.5 centimeters in length. The awn has two kinks.