About Eriocoma nelsonii (Scribn.) Romasch.
Eriocoma nelsonii (Scribn.) Romasch. is a species of grass with the common names Columbia needlegrass, subalpine needlegrass, and western needlegrass. It is native to western North America, ranging from Yukon and British Columbia south to California and east to Texas. This is a perennial grass that grows in leafy clumps that reach up to 175 centimeters tall. Its inflorescence is a narrow panicle, with branches that grow upright or pressed parallel to the stem. Its roots may extend nearly one meter deep into the soil. The grass stays green through most of the growing season, sometimes remaining green until the first snowfall. This grass grows in many types of habitat across western North America. It is a dominant grass species in a number of regions, including Colorado shrubsteppe, and forest and woodland ecosystems in Arizona and New Mexico. In some areas, it serves as an indicator of climax status in sagebrush and pinyon-juniper woodland. It indicates true dry grassland in northern Alberta, and pristine subalpine habitat on Utah's Wasatch Plateau. In New Mexico, this grass regrows quickly after wildfire. It tolerates heavy grazing, and is one of the last grass species to be lost to overgrazing, and one of the first to recover once overgrazing stops. Many types of livestock and wildlife feed on this grass, especially when it is immature. As the grass's fruit develops, it becomes hard and pointed and gets stuck in the mouths and ears of animals, so animals avoid feeding on it at this stage.
