Family: Poaceae
Author: (L.) Gaertn.
Bibliography: Novi Comment. Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. 14(1): 540 (1770)
Year: 1770
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Agropyron
Vegetable: False
Observations: Temp. Eurasia, N. Africa
Description
Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) is a perennial grass belonging to the family Poaceae, which has gained significant attention due to its resilience and adaptability. This pertinent species is historically rooted in Temp. Eurasia and Northern Africa, making it a vital grassland constituent in these regions.
First recognized in scientific literature in 1770 under the authority of (L.) Gaertn., Crested wheatgrass has showcased its importance in various ecological and agricultural contexts. The grass is particularly valued for its robust nature, allowing it to thrive in a variety of environmental conditions, including those with limited moisture and harsh temperatures.
Its versatility extends beyond mere survival; Crested wheatgrass serves multiple beneficial roles. Agriculturally, it is a prime candidate for pasture and hay production, prized for its nutritious forage that supports livestock health and productivity. Environmentally, it is instrumental in soil conservation efforts, acting as an effective agent against erosion due to its extensive root system that stabilizes the soil.
Moreover, its ability to establish quickly and form dense stands makes Crested wheatgrass an excellent choice for reclamation projects, particularly on disturbed lands where native vegetation struggles to regenerate. Its introduction and cultivation across various regions have testified to its role in landscape restoration and sustainable agricultural practices.
Crested wheatgrass’s prominence in scientific and practical applications is a testament to its invaluable adaptability and role within both natural ecosystems and human agricultural endeavors.
Common Names
Dan: børstekvik
Eng: crested wheatgrass, crested wheat grass, desert wheatgrass, fairway crested wheatgrass, fairway wheatgrass
Deu: gewöhnliche kammquecke, kammquecke
Spa: agropiro, agropiro crestado
Ita: agropiro crestato
Fra: agropyre à crête, agropyron accrêté, chiendent à crête, agropyron à crête
Swe: kamvete
En: Crested wheatgrass, Desert wheatgrass, Fairway crested wheatgrass, Fairway wheatgrass, Crested wheat grass
Ca: Agropir pectinat
Zh: Bing cao
Da: Børstekvik
Fr: Agropyre à crête, Agropyron accrêté, Chiendent à crête, Agropyron à crête
De: Kammquecke, Gewöhnliche Kammquecke
It: Agropiro crestato
Ru: Žitnâk grebenčatyj
Es: Agropiro, Agropiro crestado
Sv: Kamvete
Synonyms
- Cremopyrum pectinatum var. calvum (Schur)
- Agropyron czerepanovii (Tzvelev)
- Agropyron cristatum var. glabrispiculatum (Tzvelev)
- Agropyron pectiniforme subsp. sabulosum ((Lavrenko) Á.Löve)
- Agropyron cristatum f. pectiniforme (Bukhteeva)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. dunense ((Grinţ.) Dihoru & Negrean)
- Triticum aragonense (Lag.)
- Agropyron cristatum f. calvum ((Schur) Boza & Vasic)
- Agropyron bulbosum var. dunense (Grinţ.)
- Agropyron pectinatum f. calvum ((Schur) Soó)
- Agropyron cristatum var. villosum (Litv.)
- Agropyron cristatum var. incanum (Nábelek)
- Eremopyrum puberulum (Grossh. ex Prokudin)
- Agropyron pectinatum var. stepposum ((Dubovik) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron cristatum var. puberulum (Boiss.)
- Secale pumilum ((L.f.) Pers.)
- Agropyron cristatum f. multiflorum (Maire)
- Agropyron pectiniforme f. barbatum (Nyár. ex Anghel & Morariu)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. ponticum ((Nevski) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. hamadanicum (Yousofi)
- Agropyron pectiniforme (Roem. & Schult.)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum ((M.Bieb.) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron kazachstanicum ((Tzvelev) Peschkova)
- Costia imbricata ((Roem. & Schult.) Willk.)
- Kratzmannia cristata ((L.) Skalicky & V.Jirasek)
- Agropyron cristatum var. balchikense (Velchev & P.Vassil.)
- Agropyron cristatum f. imbricatum ((Roem. & Schult.) Bukhteeva)
- Agropyron glabrispiculatum ((Tzvelev) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron imbricatum var. villosum ((Litv.) Tzvelev)
- Avena cristata (Roem. & Schult.)
- Agropyron bulbosum var. ciliatum (Grinţ.)
- Agropyron pachyrhizum (A.Camus)
- Triticum cristatum ((L.) Schreb.)
- Agropyron aristatum (Besser)
- Agropyron cristatum var. macranthum (Roshev.)
- Eremopyrum pectinatum ((M.Bieb.) Schur)
- Elymus pectinatus ((M.Bieb.) Laínz)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. imbricatum ((Roem. & Schult.) Á.Löve)
- Agropyron pectinatum var. dagnae ((Grossh.) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. brachyatherum ((Maire) Dobignard)
- Triticum pectiniforme (Steud.)
- Agropyron cristatiforme (P.K.Sarkar)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. tarbagataicum ((Plotn.) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron lavrenkoanum (Prokudin)
- Triticum cylindricum var. pectinatum ((M.Bieb.) Link)
- Agropyron pectinatum ((M.Bieb.) P.Beauv.)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. pinifolium ((Nevski) Bondarenko ex Korovina)
- Agropyron barginensis (Skvortsov)
- Triticum muricatum (Link)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. stepposum ((Dubovik) Á.Löve)
- Triticum pumilum (L.f.)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. brandzae ((Pantu & Solacolu) Melderis)
- Agropyron karataviense (Pavlov)
- Agropyron cristatum f. hirsutissimum (Krylov)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. sclerophyllum (Novopokr.)
- Agropyron litvinovii (Prokudin)
- Agropyron cristatum var. pectinatum ((M.Bieb.) B.Fedtsch.)
- Agropyron pectinatum var. gluma-villosum (Ataeva)
- Agropyron tarbagataicum (Plotn.)
- Agropyron dagnae (Grossh.)
- Agropyron pectinatum var. imbricatum ((Roem. & Schult.) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron pectiniforme subsp. baicalense ((T.V.Egorova & Sipliv.) Á.Löve)
- Agropyron brandzae var. nyaradyanum (Morariu)
- Brachypodium brachystachyum (Voss)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. baicalense (T.V.Egorova & Sipliv.)
- Agropyron cristatum var. hirsutissimum ((Krylov) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. erikssonii ((Melderis) Á.Löve)
- Triticum puberulum ((Boiss.) Steud.)
- Agropyron pectinatum var. daralaghezicum (Tzvelev)
- Agropyron stepposum (Dubovik)
- Agropyron cristatum var. erikssonii (Melderis)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. incanum ((Nábelek) Melderis)
- Eremopyrum cristatum var. brachyatherum (Maire)
- Agropyron cristatum var. pluriflorum (X.L.Yang)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. pachyrhizum ((A.Camus) Á.Löve)
- Agropyron sclerophyllum ((Novopokr.) Novopokr.)
- Agropyron pectiniforme var. pseudobulbosum (Prodán)
- Agropyron incanum ((Nábelek) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron pectinatum f. elatius ((Schur) Soó)
- Cremopyrum pectinatum var. elatum (Schur)
- Agropyron cristatum var. minor (Yousofi)
- Agropyron cristatum var. submuticum (Grossh.)
- Agropyron lavrenkoanum var. pectinatum ((M.Bieb.) Prokudin)
- Zeia cristata ((L.) Lunell)
- Kratzmannia imbricata ((Roem. & Schult.) Opiz)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. kazachstanicum (Tzvelev)
- Agropyron pumilum ((L.f.) P.Beauv.)
- Agropyron pinifolium var. sclerophyllum ((Novopokr.) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron karadaghense (Kotov)
- Eremopyrum cristatum ((L.) Willk. & Lange)
- Agropyron imbricatum (Roem. & Schult.)
- Agropyron peschkovae ((Georgi) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron cristatum var. glabrum (Rchb.)
- Agropyron pectiniforme subsp. brandzae ((Pantu & Solacolu) Á.Löve)
- Agropyron pinifolium (Nevski)
- Agropyron brandzae subsp. ciliatum ((Grinţ.) Dihoru & Negrean)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. sabulosum (Lavrenko)
- Agropyron cristatum var. imbricatum ((Roem. & Schult.) Beck)
- Agropyron erickssonii ((Melderis) Peschkova)
- Eremopyrum cristatum var. pectinatum ((M.Bieb.) P.Candargy)
- Agropyron cristatum var. pectiniforme (H.L.Yang)
- Agropyron cristatum f. pauciflorum (Maire)
- Agropyron pectinatum var. puberulum ((Boiss.) Soó)
- Agropyron pectinatum var. submuticum ((Grossh.) Tzvelev)
- Agropyron cristatum subsp. puberulum ((Boiss.) Tzvelev)
- Costia cristata ((L.) Willk.)
- Kratzmannia pectinata ((M.Bieb.) Skalicky & V.Jirasek)
- Agropyron brandzae (Pantu & Solacolu)
- Agropyron puberulum ((Boiss.) Grossh.)
- Agropyron ponticum (Nevski)
- Agropyron cristatum var. glabriglume (Tzvelev)
- Agropyron × cristatum var. baicalense ((T.V.Egorova & Sipliv.) T.V.Egorova & Sipliv.)
- Agropyron cristatum f. villosum ((Litv.) Bukhteeva)
Distribution
- Afghanistan (native)
- Albania (native)
- Altay (native)
- Amur (native)
- Austria (native)
- Bulgaria (native)
- Buryatiya (native)
- Central European Rus (native)
- China North-Central (native)
- Chita (native)
- Czechoslovakia (native)
- East European Russia (native)
- Egypt (native)
- Greece (native)
- Hungary (native)
- Inner Mongolia (native)
- Iran (native)
- Iraq (native)
- Irkutsk (native)
- Italy (native)
- Kamchatka (native)
- Kazakhstan (native)
- Khabarovsk (native)
- Kirgizstan (native)
- Korea (native)
- Krasnoyarsk (native)
- Krym (native)
- Magadan (native)
- Manchuria (native)
- Mongolia (native)
- Morocco (native)
- North Caucasus (native)
- Northwest European R (native)
- Primorye (native)
- Qinghai (native)
- Romania (native)
- South European Russi (native)
- Spain (native)
- Tadzhikistan (native)
- Transcaucasus (native)
- Turkey (native)
- Turkey-in-Europe (native)
- Turkmenistan (native)
- Tuva (native)
- Ukraine (native)
- Uzbekistan (native)
- West Siberia (native)
- Xinjiang (native)
- Yakutskiya (native)
- Yugoslavia (native)
- Alaska (introduced)
- Alberta (introduced)
- British Columbia (introduced)
- California (introduced)
- Chile South (introduced)
- Colorado (introduced)
- Delaware (introduced)
- Idaho (introduced)
- Illinois (introduced)
- Indiana (introduced)
- Iowa (introduced)
- Kansas (introduced)
- Kentucky (introduced)
- Labrador (introduced)
- Manitoba (introduced)
- Masachusettes (introduced)
- Mexico Northeast (introduced)
- Michigan (introduced)
- Minnesota (introduced)
- Montana (introduced)
- Nebraska (introduced)
- Nevada (introduced)
- New Hampshire (introduced)
- New Mexico (introduced)
- New York (introduced)
- North Dakota (introduced)
- Northwest Territorie (introduced)
- Nova Scotia (introduced)
- Oklahoma (introduced)
- Ontario (introduced)
- Oregon (introduced)
- Poland (introduced)
- Québec (introduced)
- Saskatchewan (introduced)
- South Dakota (introduced)
- Texas (introduced)
- Utah (introduced)
- Washington (introduced)
- Wisconsin (introduced)
- Wyoming (introduced)
- Yukon (introduced)
Additional Images
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Fruit
Taken Jul 30, 2022 by Olga Markova (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 14, 2022 by Blue Bottle (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 14, 2022 by Blue Bottle (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 3, 2019 by Ember (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 30, 2020 by Ольга (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Jul 16, 2021 by Debra Roche (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Encyclopedia of Life (cc-by-nc)
Taken Jun 12, 2019 by Attila Kovács (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 13, 2021 by Тимофей Ефимов (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 9, 2022 by stevensmith2048 (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Jun 6, 2021 by Morgan Sea Juniper (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 15, 2000 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)
Taken Jun 4, 2020 by Christine stewart (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 9, 2021 by Peter Rolny (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 18, 2022 by Thomas Curdt (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Dec 2, 2013 by EOL − Ben VanderWeide (cc-by-nc)
Taken Aug 7, 2009 by EOL − Zoya Akulova (cc-by-nc)
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − This image is not copyrighted and may be freely used for any purpose. Please credit the artist, original publication if applicable, and the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database. The following format is suggested and will be appreciated: Cassondra Skinner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database If you cite (public)
Taken Oct 16, 1998 by EOL − Charles Webber (cc-by-nc-sa)
Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − WVU Herbarium (cc-by-nc-sa)
Other
Taken Jul 15, 2000 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2705196)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:7365-2)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.)
Specifications
Growth form: Bunch
Growth habit: Graminoid
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth
Ph maximum: 8.2
Ph minimum: 6.0
