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Squirreltail
Common
Name(s):
Squirreltail
Bottlebrush squirreltail
Scientific
Name:
Elymus
elymoides (Raf.) Swezey
Scientific
Name Synonyms:
Sitanion hystrix (Nutt.)
J.G. Sm.
Symbol:
ELEL5
Description:
Life
Span: Perennial
Origin:Native
Season: Cool
Growth Characteristics:
A
short-lived perennial bunchgrass, without rhizomes, growing 6 to
18 inches tall. It starts growth in early spring and flowers in
late spring. It may regrow and flower a second time with favorable
moisture. Squirreltail reproduces from seeds and tillers.
Seedhead:Dense,
bristly spike, 1 to 3 inches long, often partly enclosed by the
upper leaf sheath; two fertile spikelets per rachis node; spikelets
contain 2 to a few florets; glumes and lemmas taper into harsh awns,
1 ½ to 3 inches long and divergent at maturely. Mature heads
twist, giving it a bottlebrush or squirreltail appearance.
Leaves: Glabrous
to pubescent; blades rolled or flat, rather narrow, with raised
veins above and conspicuous midrib below; leaves rolled in bud;
ligules short, membranous, collar-shaped; auricles variable, often
absent.
Ecological
Adaptations:
Squirreltail
is a native grass with a wide topographic range in Utah, from the
desert flats to the steep mountain slopes. It is drought tolerant.
Rainfall belts vary from 8 to 20 inches average annual precipitation.
Elevations vary from 3,500 feet up to 9,500 feet.
Soils: It
is adapted to a wide range of soils. It can withstand high salt,
alkali, and high lime, and grows well in deep to shallow soils of
textures ranging from sands to clays. It is most abundant on disturbed
sites on either deep or shallow soils.
Associated Species:
Sagebrush,
shadscale, western
wheatgrass, pinyon pine,
and Utah juniper.
Uses and
Management:
In
general, squirreltail is classified as fair forage for cattle, horses,
and sheep. Sheep prefer it in the early spring. It may be consumed
in late summer and early fall after inflorescences have broken and
fallen. It is unpalatable during the winter. The sharp pointed callus
and awns may cause injury to soft tissue. Awns may contaminate fleece.
It rarely grows in dense enough stands by itself to provide much
cover for animals, but in its plant community it contributes well
to those purposes. It is considered to be only fair for watershed
protection but very effective for wind erosion control. Today it
shows tremendous potential to reduce cheatgrass dominated sites
in the Great Basin.
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