Print Report

A1329 Leymus cinereus - Leymus triticoides Alkaline Wet Meadow Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance is of Leymus cinereus- and Leymus triticoides-dominated grasslands of alkaline/saline wet meadows that occur throughout much of the Intermountain West, including the Great Basin and Columbia River Basin, as well as and California''s Central Valley and coastal plains.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Basin Wildrye - Beardless Wildrye Alkaline Wet Meadow Alliance

Colloquial Name: Western Wildrye Alkaline Wet Meadow

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This grassland alliance is of alkaline wetlands where tall bunchgrasses Leymus cinereus and/or Leymus triticoides are the dominant species. Other graminoids present may include Achnatherum hymenoides, Achnatherum thurberianum, Carex praegracilis, Distichlis spicata, Elymus elymoides, Hesperostipa comata, Hordeum brachyantherum ssp. californicum, Hordeum jubatum, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis, Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum, Onopordum acanthium, Pascopyrum smithii, Poa secunda, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Schoenoplectus spp., and/or Scirpus spp. It is rarely without several introduced annual plants such as Avena fatua, Brassica nigra, Bromus diandrus, Bromus hordeaceus, Carduus pycnocephalus, Lactuca serriola, Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum, Polypogon monspeliensis, Sonchus spp., or Vulpia myuros. This alliance occurs throughout much of the Intermountain West, including the Great Basin and Columbia River Basin, as well as California''s Central Valley and coastal plains. Elevations range from sea level to 3000 m. Stands are restricted to intermittently flooded habitats such as playas, intermittent streams, dry washes, poorly drained floodplains, margins of marshes, and historic lake basins. Soils are saline or alkaline with a shallow water table. Soils are typically moderately deep silts and clays, and the soil surface often has high cover of bare ground.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Diagnostic of this alliance is the medium-tall grassland dominated by Leymus cinereus or Leymus triticoides that is restricted to lowland sites that are flooded intermittently.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: No Data Available

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Perennial bunch grasses less than 1.5 m tall.

Floristics: The tall bunchgrasses Leymus cinereus or Leymus triticoides (= Elymus triticoides) are the sole or dominant grasses. Other graminoids may include Achnatherum hymenoides (= Oryzopsis hymenoides), Achnatherum thurberianum (= Stipa thurberiana), Carex praegracilis, Distichlis spicata, Elymus elymoides, Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata), Hordeum brachyantherum ssp. californicum (= Hordeum californicum), Hordeum jubatum, Juncus balticus, Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum (= Lolium multiflorum), Pascopyrum smithii, Poa secunda, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Schoenoplectus spp., and/or Scirpus spp. There is often sparse to moderate cover of forbs such as Achillea millefolium, Agoseris glauca, Claytonia perfoliata (= Montia perfoliata), Crepis runcinata, Iris missouriensis, Lactuca serriola, Nitrophila occidentalis, Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata (= Potentilla gracilis var. nuttallii), Sonchus spp., Suaeda spp., and Triglochin maritima. Shrubs such as Ericameria nauseosa (= Chrysothamnus nauseosus) may be scattered within the stand.

Dynamics:  Leymus cinereus is considered fire-adapted and generally resprouts after fire and recovers quite rapidly on most sites (FEIS 1998).
Environmental Description:  Elevations range from 0-3000 m. Sites are nearly level to gently sloping (to 18%) occurring on all aspects. Stands are restricted to intermittently flooded habitats such as playas, intermittent streams, drainage bottoms, poorly drained floodplains, margins of marshes, historic lake basins, and dry washes. Flooding is not predictable to a given season and is dependent upon localized rainstorms. Soils are typically poorly drained, alkaline, deep silts, clays, sandy loam to clay loam in texture. The soil surface often has high cover of bare ground. The water table is generally shallow.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Intermountain West of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, southeastern Oregon; northwestern Nevada; and interior central Coast Ranges, southern coastal Transverse Ranges, Central Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills of California.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.5 Salt Marsh Formation F035 2.C.5
Division 2.C.5.Nd North American Western Interior Brackish Marsh, Playa & Shrubland Division D036 2.C.5.Nd
Macrogroup 2.C.5.Nd.1 Warm & Cool Desert Alkali-Saline Marsh, Playa & Shrubland Macrogroup M082 2.C.5.Nd.1
Group 2.C.5.Nd.1.a Saltgrass - Lemmon''s Alkali Grass - Saltwort species Alkaline-Saline Marsh & Playa Group G538 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Alliance A1329 Basin Wildrye - Beardless Wildrye Alkaline Wet Meadow Alliance A1329 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001479 Basin Wildrye Alkaline Wet Meadow CEGL001479 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001480 Basin Wildrye Bottomland Wet Meadow CEGL001480 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001481 Basin Wildrye - Saltgrass Alkaline Wet Meadow CEGL001481 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001571 Beardless Wildrye Wet Meadow CEGL001571 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001572 Beardless Wildrye - Sandberg Bluegrass Wet Meadow CEGL001572 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL005306 Deergrass Wet Meadow CEGL005306 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Concept Lineage: A.1329 & A.1353 [A.1329 with edits]

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Elymus cinereus - Elymus triticoides Herbaceous Alliance (Rodriguez et al. 2017)
? Elymus cinereus/Distichlis stricta habitat type (Daubenmire 1970)
> Leymus cinereus (Ashy ryegrass meadows) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [41.020.00]
> Leymus cinereus Alliance (Ashy rye grass meadows) (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
> Leymus triticoides (Creeping rye grass turfs) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [41.080.00]
> Leymus triticoides Alliance (Creeping rye grass turfs) (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
> Leymus triticoides Herbaceous Alliance (Keeler-Wolf and Evens 2006)
>< Alkali Grassland and Wetlands (Chappell et al. 1997)
>< Ashy Ryegrass Series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
Concept Author(s): K.A. Schulz, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: G. Kittel , K.A. Schulz, and J. Evens

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 09-26-14
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