Name:
Phalaris arundinacea Western Marsh
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This herbaceous association is reported from throughout Washington, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, Idaho, and into northeastern Utah, but is likely more widespread in the western United States. It also occurs in Canada , in the southern two-thirds of British Columbia in areas with warm and relatively dry summers and in Alberta, from the Great Plains north into the Boreal Plains. Its distribution as a natural type is complicated because this native species is widely cultivated as a forage crop and has escaped and established in wetlands and riparian areas, displacing the local flora. Elevations range from near sea level to 2307 m. Stands are found along riparian areas, pond and lake margins, wet meadows, and intermittent drainages. The poorly drained alluvial soils are commonly fine-textured (occasionally coarse-textured) and may be flooded for brief to extended periods. The vegetation is characterized by a dense, tall herbaceous layer (often >80% canopy cover and 1.5-2 m tall) that is dominated by <i>Phalaris arundinacea</i>, which tends to occur in monocultures. Associated species may include <i>Equisetum arvense, Muhlenbergia asperifolia, Mentha arvensis, Schoenoplectus acutus</i>, and many other species in trace amounts where disturbed. Introduced species such as <i>Agrostis gigantea, Bromus inermis, Bromus tectorum, Cirsium arvense, Elymus repens, Euphorbia esula, Hordeum brachyantherum, Lepidium latifolium, Melilotus officinalis, Phleum pratense, Poa pratensis</i>, and <i>Sonchus oleraceus</i> are common in some disturbed stands.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30383-{F55700F7-0B67-4814-92A6-B10EE52933E5}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
24
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