Names
Scientific Name: Elymus elymoides
Synonym: Sitanion hystrix
Common Names: Squirreltail, bottlebrush squirreltail
Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Grass
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert, Upland
Flower Color: N/A
Flowering Season: March to September
Height: To 20 inches
Description: Bottlebrush squirreltail is a bunchgrass with erect stems and flat or rolled leaf blades. The inflorescences are up to 6 inches and resemble a bottlebrush or squirrel’s tail with half-inch spikelets and awns that stick straight out 3½ inches.
Special Characteristics
This grass is a food source for wildlife, including some species of ground squirrel, cottontail, and jackrabbit. It grows well in areas otherwise infested with invasives and is tolerant of saline and alkaline soils. Squirreltail is valuable for reseeding disturbed range lands, regenerating both from the root crown and from seeds.
Classification
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
SOURCES:
Simonin, Kevin A. 2001. Elymus elymoides. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/
Bottlebrush Squirreltail and Big Squirreltail. USDA NRCS Plant Guide. Retrieved from: plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_elel5.pdf.
