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Onespike Danthonia

Danthonia unispicata (Thurb.) Munro ex Macoun

Broad-scale Impacts of Plant Response to Fire

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More info for the terms: prescribed fire, restoration



The Research Project Summary
Vegetation response to restoration treatments in ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir forests of western Montana

also
provides information on prescribed fire and postfire response of plant species, including
onespike oatgrass, that was not available when this species review was written.

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cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Common Names

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onespike oatgrass

oneside oatgrass
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Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Cover Value

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More info for the term: cover




The degree to which onespike oatgrass provides cover for wildlife species is
as follows [8]:

UT WY
Pronghorn Poor Poor
Elk Poor Poor
Mule deer Poor Poor
White-tailed deer ---- Poor
Small mammals Fair Fair
Small nongame birds Poor Fair
Upland game birds Poor Fair
Waterfowl Poor Poor

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cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Description

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More info for the term: spikelet




Onespike oatgrass is a native, densely tufted perennial bunchgrass [5,17,44]. The centers of the spreading tufts ultimately die out and old sheaths persist at the base of the plants [5]. Culms typically grow 4 to 12 inches (10-30 cm) in height [5,16,26,44]. The inflorescence is a panicle mostly reduced to a single spikelet, but 2 or 3 spikelets may occasionally be present [5,17,18,26]. The root system of onespike oatgrass is shallow and fibrous [20,31,33].

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cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Distribution

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Onespike oatgrass occurs from British Columbia south to California and east to Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, and Colorado [5,9,17,44].

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cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

FIRE ECOLOGY AND ADAPTATIONS

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More info for the terms: cover, fire regime, forest, fuel, root crown




Little information is available in the literature that addresses onespike oatgrass adaptations to fire.



Historically, Sandberg bluegrass-onespike oatgrass plant associations in the Columbia River Basin had such low biomass that they typically did not carry fire, and have probably rarely burned [1].



Johnson and Simon [22] state that onespike oatgrass is 'probably' resistant to fire based on its high moisture content throughout summer, and may in fact respond favorably to burning. However, burning of frost-heaved onespike oatgrass may cause damage due to exposure of the root crown to heat.
They also state that fire does not spread well in Sandberg bluegrass-onespike oatgrass plant associations of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest due to insufficient fuel availability and high rock cover.



In the Pacific Northwest, other oatgrass species have been described as moderately resistant to fire [41].



FIRE REGIMES:

Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under "Find FIRE REGIMES". For further information regarding FIRE REGIMES and fire ecology of areas where onespike oatgrass is found, see the 'Fire Ecology and Adaptations' section of the FEIS Species Review for the dominant plant species listed below.


Community or Ecosystem
Dominant species
Fire return interval range (mean)

Pacific ponderosa pine
Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa
1-47 years

Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine
Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum
2-10 years

Colorado pinyon-juniper spp.
P. edulis
10-49 years

basin big sagebrush
Artemisia tridentata var. tridentata
12-43 years

mountain big sagebrush
A. t. var. vaseyana
5-15 years

Wyoming big sagebrush
A. t. var. wyomingensis
10-70 years (40)

mountain grasslands
Pseudoroegneria spicata
3-40 years (10)

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Growth Form (according to Raunkiær Life-form classification)

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More info on this topic.

More info for the term: hemicryptophyte






Hemicryptophyte
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Habitat characteristics

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Onespike oatgrass occurs on dry to moist sites from prairies and foothills to open parks and ridges at higher elevations [5,16,18,26,44]. Sites are often rocky with shallow, poorly drained soils [7,14,16,26,33]. Stands of onespike oatgrass are limited to intermediate elevations in the Sierra Nevada and in northeastern California, where they occur in high desert or lava areas [31]. Onespike oatgrass grows at elevations of 2,970 to 10,560 feet (900-3200 m) in California [16], and 7,000 to 10,000 feet (2130-3050 m) in Utah [44].



Onespike oatgrass frequently codominates plant communities with Sandberg bluegrass on bluegrass scablands characterized by thin, rocky soils. These scablands are typically located on intermountain plateaus and ridges derived from Columbia River basaltic flows east of the Cascade Mountains and west of the Rocky Mountains in the Pacific Northwest [32]. Similar scablands are described on central Oregon pumice-derived substrates [32,40].

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Habitat: Cover Types

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More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):




210 Interior Douglas-fir

217 Aspen

218 Lodgepole pine

219 Limber pine

220 Rocky Mountain juniper

237 Interior ponderosa pine

238 Western juniper

239 Pinyon-juniper

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cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Habitat: Ecosystem

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More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

More info for the term: shrub



FRES20 Douglas-fir

FRES21 Ponderosa pine

FRES23 Fir-spruce

FRES26 Lodgepole pine

FRES29 Sagebrush

FRES34 Chaparral-mountain shrub

FRES35 Pinyon-juniper

FRES36 Mountain grasslands

FRES44 Alpine

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cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Habitat: Plant Associations

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More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: forest, shrub, woodland



K008 Lodgepole pine-subalpine forest

K010 Ponderosa shrub forest

K011 Western ponderosa forest

K012 Douglas-fir forest

K017 Black Hills pine forest

K018 Pine-Douglas-fir forest

K022 Great Basin pine forest

K023 Juniper-pinyon woodland

K024 Juniper steppe woodland

K037 Mountain-mahogany-oak scrub

K038 Great Basin sagebrush

K050 Fescue-wheatgrass

K051 Wheatgrass-bluegrass

K052 Alpine meadows and barren

K055 Sagebrush steppe

K056 Wheatgrass-needlegrass shrubsteppe

K063 Foothills prairie

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Habitat: Rangeland Cover Types

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More info on this topic.

This species is known to occur in association with the following Rangeland Cover Types (as classified by the Society for Range Management, SRM):

More info for the terms: shrubland, woodland




101 Bluebunch wheatgrass

102 Idaho fescue

106 Bluegrass scabland

107 Western juniper/big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass

109 Ponderosa pine shrubland

110 Ponderosa pine-grassland

302 Bluebunch wheatgrass-Sandberg bluegrass

304 Idaho fescue-bluebunch wheatgrass

314 Big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass

315 Big sagebrush-Idaho fescue

316 Big sagebrush-rough fescue

401 Basin big sagebrush

402 Mountain big sagebrush

403 Wyoming big sagebrush

406 Low sagebrush

407 Stiff sagebrush

412 Juniper-pinyon woodland

415 Curlleaf mountain-mahogany

420 Snowbrush

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Immediate Effect of Fire

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Onespike oatgrass is probably top-killed by fire.

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Importance to Livestock and Wildlife

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Onespike oatgrass is not referred to as an important forage grass in available literature. Livestock graze the succulent basal herbage of onespike oatgrass in California, but the plant is not abundant enough to be considered outstanding forage [31]. The succulent bases are also very attractive to rodents, especially pocket gophers [33]. In the Blue Mountains of Oregon, onespike oatgrass is considered a secondary species, but produces valuable forage on harsh scabland sites not suitable to bluebunch wheatgrass [33].

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Key Plant Community Associations

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More info for the terms: association, codominant, forest, grassland, natural







Onespike oatgrass is present in numerous grassland, sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), mountain brush, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)-Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), and lodgepole pine (P. contorta) habitat types and plant communities [27,37,40,44].



Plants commonly growing in association with onespike oatgrass include the following: big sagebrush (A. tridentata), stiff sagebrush (A. rigida), low sagebrush (A. arbuscula), shrubby cinquefoil (Dasiphora floribunda), antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), sticky geranium (Geranium viscosissimum), arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), western yarrow (Achillea millefolium), lupine (Lupinus spp.), pussytoes (Antennaria spp.), biscuitroot (Lomatium spp.), rough fescue (Festuca altaica), Idaho fescue (F. idahoensis), bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata), needle-and-thread grass (Hesperostipa comata), prairie
Junegrass (Koeleria macrantha), bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides), and Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda) [6,22,30,36,45].



Classifications describing plant communities in which onespike oatgrass is a dominant or codominant species are as follows:



Habitat characteristics of the Silver Lake mule deer range [7]

Natural vegetation of Oregon and Washington [11]

Plant associations of the Fremont National Forest [19]

Plant associations of the Wallowa-Snake Province: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest [22]

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cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Life Form

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the term: graminoid




Graminoid
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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Management considerations

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: forest, grassland




In western Montana, onespike oatgrass did not increase in biomass but appeared larger and more vigorous on sites where spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) had been controlled with herbicides [4].



Onespike oatgrass shows productive regrowth after fall rains, making it dependable fall forage on bluebunch wheatgrass sites in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon. However, it is susceptible to damage from frost heaving, and is often winter-killed on exposed sites [33].



Onespike oatgrass response to grazing varies with location. It dominates ridgetop communities in the Blue Mountains, where severe overgrazing has basically eliminated deep-soil bunchgrasses because of reduced moisture retention [20]. Onespike oatgrass has responded as a 'decreaser' to grazing in Sandberg bluegrass scablands of the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington and in sagebrush/bunchgrass types within the central Oregon pumice zone [13,40]. Conversely, it is described as an 'increaser' on foothill and mountain grassland sites in Montana and the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming [30,37]. Volland [40] also refers to onespike oatgrass as a 'palatable increaser' on ponderosa pine/shrub/Idaho fescue sites within the central Oregon pumice zone.

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Nutritional Value

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Compared to other grasses, onespike oatgrass is rated "fair" in energy value and 'poor' in protein value [8].

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Occurrence in North America

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CA
CO
ID
MT
NV
OR
SD
UT
WA
WY





AB
BC


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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Palatability

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The palatability of onespike oatgrass to livestock and wildlife species
has been rated as follows [8]:

MT UT WY
Cattle Fair Good Fair
Domestic sheep Fair Fair Fair
Horses Good Good Fair
Pronghorn ---- Poor Poor
Elk Poor Good Good
Mule deer Poor Fair Poor
White-tailed deer ---- ---- Poor
Small mammals ---- Fair ----
Small nongame birds ---- Poor ----
Upland game birds ---- Fair ----
Waterfowl ---- Poor ----

license
cc-publicdomain
bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Phenology

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Onespike oatgrass generally flowers from June to August [5,8].

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Plant Response to Fire

provided by Fire Effects Information System Plants
More info for the terms: association, cover, forest, frequency, prescribed fire




In the Gallatin National Forest of southwestern Montana, onespike oatgrass was a dominant species on a big sagebrush-grassland site prior to a spring prescribed fire. It increased in basal cover in the following summer [3,28].



Within a Sandberg bluegrass-onespike oatgrass plant association on the Wallowa Whitman National Forest, onespike oatgrass declined in coverage in postfire year 1 on 'very lightly burned' ridgetop sites. It was not determined by the author whether this loss in cover was directly related to fire or if the decline should be attributed to soil moisture loss or grazing by elk [23].



Onespike oatgrass was present in postfire years 1 and 2 on ponderosa pine plots following the 1988 Red Bench Fire in Glacier National Park, Montana [42,43].




On ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir communities in the Blue Mountains
of northeastern Oregon, onespike oatgrass cover and frequency in postfire year
4 were higher on prescribed burned sites than on thinned, thinned-and-burned,
or unburned control sites. Onespike oatgrass was determined to be an indicator
species for burned sites (P≤0.05). For further information
on the effects of thinning and burning treatments on onespike oatgrass and
48 other species, see the Research Project Summary of Youngblood and
others' [46] study.

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Post-fire Regeneration

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More info for the term: caudex



Caudex, growing points in soil

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Regeneration Processes

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More info for the term: seed




Little information on the regenerative processes of onespike oatgrass is available in the literature.



Danthonia species reproduce by seed and tillering from the base [8,15,35,39,41]. Spikelets located in the axils of the lower leaves of onespike oatgrass are self-fertilizing [31,44].

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Regional Distribution in the Western United States

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This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):




2 Cascade Mountains

4 Sierra Mountains

5 Columbia Plateau

6 Upper Basin and Range

7 Lower Basin and Range

8 Northern Rocky Mountains

9 Middle Rocky Mountains

10 Wyoming Basin

11 Southern Rocky Mountains

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Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Successional Status

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More info on this topic.

More info for the terms: climax, forest




Onespike oatgrass is referred to as a climax species on thin soil scablands of the Intermountain Pacific Northwest, where shallow soil depths and bedrock limit the establishment of deeper-rooted plants. In the same region, onespike oatgrass is an invader on deep-soil sites dominated by fescues (Festuca spp.) where moisture retention has been diminished by overgrazing [21]. Onespike oatgrass has also been found on disturbed sites such as trail edges in ponderosa pine forests of eastern Washington and northern Idaho [6].



Johnson and Simon [22] report that onespike oatgrass is a principal indicator species of scabland communities of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. It is present in mid- to late-seral stages on moist microsites in bluebunch wheatgrass-Sandberg bluegrass plant associations, as well as early to late seres of stiff sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass associations. Within this study area, onespike oatgrass often colonizes areas downslope from water sources, where soil moisture is retained for longer periods in the summer. It has been observed to decline with disturbance that increases bare ground. The authors distinguish Sandberg bluegrass-onespike oatgrass plant associations in this region, but are speculative as to whether these sites are climax or a result of severe site degradation of Idaho fescue-prairie
Junegrass communities.

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Taxonomy

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The currently accepted scientific name of onespike oatgrass is Danthonia unispicata (Thurb.) Munro ex Macoun (Poaceae) [5,14,24,44].

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Value for rehabilitation of disturbed sites

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More info for the term: forest




Onespike oatgrass has low to moderate potential for erosion control and short-term to long-term revegetation projects [8]. In particular, low sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass-onespike oatgrass plant associations in the Fremont National Forest of Oregon are usually found on very rocky soils typically saturated during winter and spring, making revegetation on these sites impractical [19]. The same information is reported for Sandberg bluegrass/onespike oatgrass associations in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest [22].

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bibliographic citation
Matthews, Robin F. 2000. Danthonia unispicata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us /database/feis/plants/graminoid/danuni/all.html

Comprehensive Description

provided by North American Flora
Danthonia unispicata (Thurber) Munro; Macoun, Cat. Can PI. 4: 215. 1888.
Danthonia californica var. unispicata Thurber, in S. Wats. Bot. Calif. 2: 294. 1880. (Type "from San Diego to San Francisco, Calif.", Bolander, Parry, Lemmon.)
Merathrepta unispicata Piper, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 11: 123. 1906. (Based on Danthonia unispicata Munro.) Pentameris unispicata Nelson & Macbr. Bot. Gaz. 56: 470. 1913. (Based on Danlhonia unispicala Munro.)
Culms in dense spreading tufts, 15-25 cm. tall; sheaths and blades from sparsely to conspicuously pilose, the hairs on the sheaths spreading or reflexed, the blades mostly 3-8 cm. long; panicle reduced to a single spikelet or sometimes 2, rarely 3, spikelets, the lower spikelets usually reduced, their pedicels appressed or ascending, the long pedicel of the terminal spikelet jointed with the culm; glumes mostly 15-18 mm. long; lemmas bearded on the short stipe-like callus, otherwise glabrous, 8-10 mm. long, including the acuminate awn-tipped teeth; terminal segment of the dorsal awn 4-7 mm. long; palea obtuse, nearly as long as the lemma.
Type locality: California.
Distribution: Open or rocky ground, Montana to British Columbia, and southward to Wyoming and California.
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bibliographic citation
Albert Spear Hitchcock, Jason Richard Swallen, Agnes Chase. 1939. (POALES); POACEAE (pars). North American flora. vol 17(8). New York Botanical Garden, New York, NY
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North American Flora

Physical Description

provided by USDA PLANTS text
Perennials, Terrestrial, not aquatic, Stems nodes swollen or brittle, Stems erect or ascending, Stems caespitose, tufted, or clustered, Stems terete, round in cross section, or polygonal, Stem internodes hollow, Stems with inflorescence less than 1 m tall, Stems, culms, or scapes exceeding basal leaves, Leaves mostly basal, below middle of stem, Leaves conspicuously 2-ranked, distichous, Leaves sheathing at base, Leaf sheath mostly open, or loose, Leaf sheath hairy, hispid or prickly, Leaf sheath hairy at summit, throat, or collar, Leaf sheath and blade differentiated, Leaf blades linear, Leaf blades very narrow or filiform, less than 2 mm wide, Leaf blades 2-10 mm wide, Leaf blades mostly flat, Leaf blade margins folded, involute, or conduplicate, Leaf blades m ore or less hairy, Leaf blades scabrous, roughened, or wrinkled, Ligule present, Ligule a fringe of hairs, Inflorescence terminal, Inflorescence racemose, Inflorescence solitary, with 1 spike, fascicle, glomerule, head, or cluster per stem or culm, Inflorescence a single spikelet, Flowers bisexual, Spikelets pedicellate, Spikelets laterally compressed, Spikelet less than 3 mm wide, Spikelets with 2 florets, Spikelets with 3-7 florets, Spikelets solitary at rachis nodes, Spikelets all alike and fertille, Spikelets bisexual, Inflorescence disarticulating between nodes or joints of rachis, rachis fragmenting, Spikelets disarticulating above the glumes, glumes persistent, Spikelets disarticulating beneath or between the florets, Rachilla or pedicel glabrous, Glumes present, empty bracts, Glumes 2 clearly present, Glumes equal or subequal, Glumes equal to or longer than adjacent lemma, Glumes 3 nerved, Lemmas thin, chartaceous, hyaline, cartilaginous, or membranous, Lemma 5-7 ner ved, Lemma body or surface hairy, Lemma apex dentate, 2-fid, Lemma distinctly awned, more than 2-3 mm, Lemma with 3 awns, Lemma awn less than 1 cm long, Lemma awn from sinus of bifid apex, Lemma awn twisted, spirally coiled at base, like a corkscrew, Lemma awn once geniculate, bent once, Lemma margins thin, lying flat, Lemma straight, Callus or base of lemma evidently hairy, Callus hairs shorter than lemma, Palea present, well developed, Palea shorter than lemma, Palea 2 nerved or 2 keeled, Palea keels winged, scabrous, or ciliate, Stamens 3, Styles 2-fid, deeply 2-branched, Stigmas 2, Fruit - caryopsis, Caryopsis ellipsoid, longitudinally grooved, hilum long-linear.
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Missouri Botanical Garden
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Danthonia unispicata

provided by wikipedia EN

Danthonia unispicata is a species of grass known by the common name onespike oatgrass, or onespike danthonia.

It is sometimes treated as a variety of Danthonia californica, to which it is similar. It is native to western North America, where it grows in several types of habitat, including grassland and open areas in mountain forests.

It is a perennial bunchgrass growing in clumps 10 to 30 centimeters tall, with very hairy, rolled leaves. The inflorescence bears a single spikelet, or sometimes up to four spikelets.

References

  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer - Danthonia unispicata". NatureServe Explorer Danthonia unispicata. NatureServe. 2022-06-08. Retrieved 8 June 2022.

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Danthonia unispicata: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

Danthonia unispicata is a species of grass known by the common name onespike oatgrass, or onespike danthonia.

It is sometimes treated as a variety of Danthonia californica, to which it is similar. It is native to western North America, where it grows in several types of habitat, including grassland and open areas in mountain forests.

It is a perennial bunchgrass growing in clumps 10 to 30 centimeters tall, with very hairy, rolled leaves. The inflorescence bears a single spikelet, or sometimes up to four spikelets.

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cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
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wikipedia EN