top navigation:

Native Plant Propagation Guidelines:
grasses & sedges

Koeleria macrantha (Junegrass)

Category: 
grasses and sedges

junegrass (photo by Tony Corelli)

The seed head is a dense spike-like panicle, 3-10 cm long, often interrupted below. Spikelets usually two flowered, pale green or purple. Leaves to 4 mm wide, mainly basal, flat to rolled inward, bluish-green, distinctly ribbed and rough, folded at emergence with lower surface keeled; margins rough and translucent; sheath round, split and distinctly veined; ligule to 1 mm long, blunt or rounded, often split, usually hair fringed, collar medium-broad, yellowish green, continuous or divided, auricles absent. Whole plant hairy to varying degrees (Pahl and Smreciu, 1999). Photo by Toni Corelli.

Scientific Name: 

Koeleria macrantha (Ledeb.) J.A. Schult. f. (K. gracilis Pers., K. cristata Pers., K. nitida Nutt., K. pyramidata [Lam.] Beauv.)

Family: 
Poaceae
English Name: 
Junegrass

Geographical Range and Habitat Requirements

Ecological Setting: 

Open woods and meadows.

Soil Texture: 

Light textured sandy soils (Hitchkock, 1971).

Nutrients: 
n/a
Soil Reaction and Salinity: 

Prefers moderately calcareous soils (Pahl and Smreciu, 1999).

Moisture Regime: 
n/a
Shade Tolerance: 
n/a
Successional Status: 

Early pioneer on many disturbed sites (Pahl and Smreciu, 1999).

BEC Zone and GOE Community Status: 
n/a

Uses

Site Rehabilitation: 

Useful land reclamation species. Recommended in many native seed mixes (Pahl and Smreciu, 1999).

Wildlife: 

Good early season forage plant for cattle, elk and bighorn sheep (USDA, 1988).

Landscaping: 

Attractive species. Could be used in combination with camas, satin flower and harvest broadiaea in beds and rockeries.

First Nations: 
n/a
Other Uses: 
n/a

Seed Propagation

Flowering Time: 
n/a
Fruit Ripening Time: 
n/a
Seed Collection Time: 
n/a
Crop Intervals: 

Junegrass produces seed in the second year (Rose et al., 1998).

Number of Seeds per Kilogram: 

+/- 5 million

Seed Viability: 
n/a
Fruit and Seed Collection and Extraction: 

No stratification required. Sow seed in the fall to a depth of 0.5 to 1.0 and cover with sawdust mulch (Rose et al., 1998).

Seed Storage: 
n/a
Fruit/Seed Dormancy and Treatment: 
n/a

Vegetative Propagation

Plant division in fall or early spring: Potentially useful technique but requires experimentation.

Outplanting Characteristics and Requirements

n/a

Seed and Cutting Propagation Techniques

n/a

Additional Information and Photos

For more information and pictures, visit the E-Flora BC website at www.eflora.bc.ca.

?>