Achnatherum richardsonii
Achnatherum richardsonii is a species of grass known by the common names Richardson's needlegrass, spreading needlegrass, and Canada mountain-ricegrass. It is native to northwestern North America, where it is distributed from Alaska and Yukon through the western Canadian provinces south to Colorado.
This is a tufted perennial bunchgrass growing up to a meter tall. The inflorescence is open with spreading branches. The spikelet has a twisted awn up to 2.5 centimeters in length.
This grass grows in several habitat types, including grasslands, meadows, and pine forests. It can be found on moraines, plains, and mountain slopes. It is a dominant or codominant grass species in some areas, such as the western Canadian grasslands and the climax plant communities of Glacier National Park. Plants associated with it include Canada bluegrass, prairie Junegrass, rough fescue, Idaho fescue, bearded wheatgrass, western needlegrass, timber danthonia, tufted hairgrass, sedges, shrubby cinquefoil, bearberry, timothy, common yarrow, prairiesmoke avens, northern bedstraw, Hood's phlox, and bluebell.
This grass is a common food source for livestock and wildlife such as elk and bighorn sheep on the Great Plains. It is preferable when young because as it matures, the fruits become hard and sharp.