Agropyron cristatum L.

crested wheat grass

Rarely naturalized in disturbed areas, around grain facilities, and beaches.

Graminoid

Perennial

Vascular

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In their native range, Agropyron cristatum and A. desertorum are recognized as distinct (Meideris 1980, Chen and Zhu 2006). In North America, Barkworth (1997, 2007) lumps Agropyron cristatum and A. desertorum under A. cristatum because in North America where the two have been grown together in nursery settings and have apparently introgressed they have become difficult to differentiate and can "be considered an example of human-induced despeciation". Barkworth (1997) presents a table comparing A. cristatum and A. desertorum based on previous workers as well as her own experience but agrees with the statement of a past worker that classification of most specimens in North America will be difficult and unsatisfying and lumps the two taxa. Mitchell and Tucker (1997) also lumped the two taxa. We tentatively follow Barkworth’s taxonomic judgment and recognize only one broadly defined A. cristatum as occurring in New York.

Not Native SNA (State Rank) G5 (Global Rank)

Barkworth 1997, Barkworth 2007