About Calamagrostis rubescens Buckley
Calamagrostis rubescens Buckley, commonly called pinegrass, is a perennial bunchgrass. It grows erect to heights between 60 centimeters and one meter, growing mainly from creeping rhizomes. Its leaves are mostly basal, narrow, and flat, with conspicuous tufts of hair at the collar. Each branch of the inflorescence holds several spikelets, and each spikelet contains just one floret. Individual spikelets are about half a centimeter long, with a bent or twisted awn of roughly the same length; the awn on each floret is also bent and twisted. The inflorescence can be a dense cluster or an open array of spikelets, and it typically forms a narrow, spike-like panicle that is usually less than 6 inches long. Pinegrass is unusual because it rarely flowers. It grows in forest areas, and only produces flowers under full sunlight, from late June through August. This species is native to western North America. In Canada, it ranges from British Columbia to Manitoba, while in the United States it occurs from California to Colorado. It can be found in multiple types of habitat, including forests and woodlands.
