Pascopyrum

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Poales

Familia: Poaceae
Subfamilia: Pooideae
Tribus: Hordeeae
Subtribus: Hordeinae
Genus: Pascopyrum
Species: P. smithii
Name

Pascopyrum Á.Löve, Taxon 29: 547 (1980)
monotypic taxon

References

Löve, Á. (1980 Taxon 29(4): 547.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2013. Pascopyrum in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2013 Dec. 7. Reference page. as Elymus L., Sp. Pl.: 83 (1753).
Simon, B.K., Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T., Vorontsova, M., Brake, I., Healy, D. & Alfonso, Y. 2013. GrassWorld, Pascopyrum. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2013 Dec. 7.
Tropicos.org 2013. Pascopyrum. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2013 Dec. 7.
International Plant Names Index. 2013. Pascopyrum. Published online. Accessed: 7 Dec. 2013.

Pascopyrum is a monotypic genus of grass containing the sole species Pascopyrum smithii, which is known by the common names western wheatgrass and red-joint wheatgrass, after the red coloration of the nodes. It is native to North America.

Distribution

This is a sod-forming rhizomatous perennial grass which is native and common throughout most of North America. It grows in grassland and prairie in the Great Plains, where it is sometimes the dominant grass species. It is the state grass of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Ecology

It is a valuable forage for animals such as bison and black-tailed prairie dogs, and it is good for grazing livestock.[1] It is used for revegetation of disturbed and overgrazed habitat, and many cultivars have been developed to suit various conditions,[1] including low-maintenance lawns. Wheatgrass generally tolerates mowing to four inches, but does not tolerate shade. Healthy stands may crowd out other species, making it more suitable for monoculture plantings.
References

US Forest Service Fire Ecology