Scientific Name : Puccinellia parishii
Author : A.S. Hitchc.
NatureServe Explorer
Common Name : Parish's Alkali Grass
Current Research Activities
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Taxonomy
Poaceae (grass family)
Included in Ackerfield (2022). Not listed in Weber and Wittmann (2012).
Ranks and Status
State Rank : S1
State Rank Reason : In Colorado (USA), Puccinellia parishii is known only from two locations in southwestern Colorado. The primary threat to this species is considered to be hydrologic alteration, other potential threats include impacts from recreation activities and inappropriate livestock grazing. This species is also considered to be extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
U.S. Endangered Species Act : none
Colorado Threatened and Endangered List : none
Other Statuses : SWAP SGIN
Description and Phenology
General Description:
Puccinellia parishii is an annual grass species, which grows in clumps, 3 to 10 cm tall. Cauline leaf blades are generally inrolled, and less than 1 mm wide when flat. Inflorescence is 1-8 cm; lower branches are erect to reflexed in fruit; spikelet stalk is scabrous. Lemma veins are hairy along the lower half, tips are obtuse to truncate, margins near the tip are scabrous-serrate, lowest lemma is approximately 2 mm; anthers of lowest floret approximately 0.5 mm (Hickman 1993).
Look Alikes:
Puccinellia parishii is distinguished from other species of Puccinellia growing in similar habitats by its annual habit. Poa annua has wider leaves and the tips are boat shaped (Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2012).
Phenology:
Colorado individuals have been observed in fruit (with mature seeds) in late July (Colorado Natural Heritage Progarm 2012).
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Habitat
Colorado individuals have been observed in low, open area with seasonally wet alkaline soils. Associated plant communities are dominated by alkaline grasses, and Artemisia nova shrub/grasslands. Associated plant species include Hordeum jubatum, Suaeda calceoliformis, Artemisia nova, and Eleocharis palustris (Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2012).
click on image to enlarge
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Elevation Range:
7,621 - 7,957 feet (2,323 - 2,425 meters)
Distribution
Colorado Endemic:
No
Range:
Puccinellia parishii is known from Dolores and San Miguel counties in Colorado, USA. Estimated range extent in Colorado of 81 square kilometers was calculated in GeoCAT using occurrence data provided by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (2026). This species can also be found in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, USA and the Navajo Nation,.
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Threats and Management Issues
The primary threat at this time is considered to be hydrologic alteration/recreation (Rondeau et al. 2011). It is not known if all of the occurrences are or are not threatened by these activities. Grazing by cattle affects the condition of the wetlands in some areas of the one known occurrence. A road and pipeline right-of-way pass through parts of the occurrence. Alterations in hydrology could affect the habitat. The small area of occupied habitat within the state make this species inherently susceptible to extirpation. This species is considered to be extremely vulnerable to climate change (Handwerk et al. 2015).
Summary results of an analysis of the status of Puccinellia parishii based on several ranking factors. This species was concluded to be Moderately Conserved. From Rondeau et al. 2011. |
References
- Ackerfield, J. 2015. Flora of Colorado. BRIT Press, Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, TX. 818 pp.
- Arizona Game and Fish Department. 2015. Puccinellia parishii. Unpublished abstract compiled and edited by the Heritage Data Management System, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ. 8 pp. [http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/edits/documents/Puccpari.pdf]
- Baldwin, B. G., D. H. Goldman, D. J. Keil, R. Patterson, T. J. Rosatti, and D. H. Wilken, eds. 2012. The Jepson manual: vascular plants of California. 2nd edition. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1568 pp.
- California Native Plant Society (CNPS). 2015. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants (online edition, v8-02). California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. Online. Available: http://www.rareplants.cnps.org (accessed 2015).
- Carter, S.K., J.R. Singhurst, and W.C. Holmes. 2014. Puccinellia parishii (Poaceae, Poeae): a genus and species new to Texas. Phytoneuron 58: 1-4.
- Greene, J., and A.C. Sanders. 2006. Parish's alkali grass. West Mojave Plan Species Accounts. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. [http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib//blm/ca/pdf/pdfs/cdd_pdfs.Par.a91c678c.File.pdf/parishalkgrass1.PDF]
- Heil, K.D., S.L. O'Kane Jr., L.M. Reeves, and A. Clifford, 2013. Flora of the Four Corners Region, Vascular Plants of the San Juan River Drainage; Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, Missouri. 1098 pp.
- Hitchcock, A.S. 1951. Manual of the grasses of the United States. 2nd edition revised by Agnes Chase. [Reprinted, 1971, in 2 vols., by Dover Publications, Incorporated, New York.]
- Lavender, A.E., M.M. Fink, S.E. Linn, D.M. Theobald. 2011. Colorado Ownership, Management, and Protection v9 Database. Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Geospatial Centroid, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. (30 September).
- McDonald, C. 1999. New Mexico Rare Plants: Puccinellia parishii (Parish's alkali grass). New Mexico Rare Plant Technical Council, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Online. Available: http://nmrareplants.unm.edu/rarelist_single.php?SpeciesID=156 (Accessed 2015).
- Neely, B., S. Panjabi, E. Lane, P. Lewis, C. Dawson, A. Kratz, B. Kurzel, T. Hogan, J. Handwerk, S. Krishnan, J. Neale, and N. Ripley. 2009. Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Strategy, Developed by the Colorado Rare Plant conservation Initiative. The Nature Conservancy, Boulder, Colorado, 117 pp.
- Phillips, A.M., and B.G. Phillips. 1991. Status report for Puccinellia parishii. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, Phoenix, AZ.
- Rondeau, R., K. Decker, J. Handwerk, J. Siemers, L. Grunau, and C. Pague. 2011. The state of Colorado's biodiversity 2011. Prepared for The Nature Conservancy. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
- Roth, D. 2008. May 15 last update. Species account for Puccinellia parishii. Navajo Natural Heritage Program, Window Rock, Arizona. Online. Available: http://nnhp.nndfw.org/ (Accessed 2015).
- Skinner, M.W., and B.M. Pavlik, eds. 1994. Inventory of rare and endangered vascular plants of California. 5th. edition. California Native Plant Society Special Publication No. 1.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1994. Proposed endangered status for the plant Puccinellia parishii (Parish's alkali grass). Federal Register 59(59): 14378-14382.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1998. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants: withdrawal of proposed rule to list the plant Puccinellia parishii (Parish's alkali grass) as endangered. Federal Register 63(186):51329-51332.
- USDA, NRCS. 2022. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
- Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich and L.C. Higgins. (Eds.) 2008. A Utah Flora. 4th edition, revised. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, U.S.A. 1019 pp.
Biotics Export Date : September, 2026
