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Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous Alliance | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous Alliance
Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description: This alliance occurs in arid and semi-arid regions in the southwestern Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and throughout the southwestern U.S. on a variety of landforms including plains, mesas, alluvial flats, floodplains, swales, hillslopes, dunes, badlands and bajadas. Soils are variable and range from sand to clay textures. The vegetation is characterized by an herbaceous layer with sparse to moderately dense cover of perennial grasses that is usually dominated by Pleuraphis jamesii (= Hilaria jamesii), either growing in nearly pure stands or codominated by Sporobolus airoides. Pleuraphis jamesii typically grows as a bunchgrass, but under favorable conditions produces a sod. Other common perennial grasses such as Sporobolus cryptandrus, Achnatherum hymenoides (= Oryzopsis hymenoides), and Bouteloua gracilis occur in small amounts (less than half the cover of Pleuraphis jamesii). The sparse forb layer often includes Sphaeralcea coccinea and Astragalus spp. Occasional scattered shrubs and dwarf-shrubs species of Artemisia, Atriplex, Chrysothamnus, Ericameria, Ephedra, and Yucca, as well as Gutierrezia sarothrae and Krascheninnikovia lanata, may occur with less than 10% total cover. 
Accession Code: VB.CC.18153.PLEURAPHISJAMES
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 26-Nov-1997 to: 01-May-2019
     
  • status: accepted
  • This Community's Level: Alliance
  • This Community's Children: [none]
Names:   Scientific: Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous Alliance
  Translated: James' Galleta Herbaceous Alliance
  UID: HIGHER_CLASS_UNIT.2.124834 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: A.1287