Plants of Lory State Park

Lory State Park's 2,492 acres are situated 7 miles west of Fort Collins in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The park borders Horsetooth Reservoir and reaches 7,015 feet at its highest point. The park contains a gradual gradation of ecosystems from grasslands and riparian areas into ...more ↓

water sedge

Carex aquatilis is a species of sedge known by the common names water sedge and leafy tussock sedge. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern reaches of the Northern Hemisphere. It grows in many types of mountainous and Arctic habitat, including temperate coniferous forest, alpine meadows, tundra, and wetlands. There are several ...more ↓

Nebraska sedge

Carex nebrascensis is a species of sedge known by the common name Nebraska sedge.

inland sedge

Carex interior is a species of sedge known by the common name inland sedge. It is native to much of North America from Alaska to northern Mexico to the mid-Atlantic United States. It grows in wet habitat, most often in calcareous soils. This sedge produces clumps of stems approaching a meter in maximum height, with a few leaves at each stem. The inflorescence is an open ...more ↓

Shortbeak Sedge

Carex brevior, known as shortbeak sedge and plains oval sedge, is a species of sedge native to North America. The specific epithet brevior means "shorter" in Latin.

small-winged sedge

Carex microptera is a species of sedge known by the common name smallwing sedge. It is native to western North America, including most all of western Canada and the western United States. It occurs in moist mountain habitat such as meadows and riverbanks. This sedge produces dense clumps of erect stems over 20 centimeters tall and up to about a meter in height. The ...more ↓

starry broomsedge

Carex pachystachya is a species of sedge known by the common name Chamisso sedge. It is native to western North America from Alaska to Saskatchewan to California, where it grows in dry to wet areas in many types of forest and grassland habitat. This sedge produces dense clumps of erect stems up to 1.2 meters in maximum height. The inflorescence is a dense or open cluster ...more ↓

redroot flatsedge

Cyperus erythrorhizos is a species of sedge known by the common name redroot flatsedge. It is found throughout North America from central Canada to central Mexico. It is a plant of wet areas such as rivers and ditches, generally at low elevations. It gets its common and scientific names from the red color of its roots. This sedge grows to a maximum of a meter in height, ...more ↓

Common Spike-rush

Eleocharis palustris (common spike-rush, creeping spike-rush or marsh spike-rush) is a species of mat-forming perennial plants in the genus Eleocharis (and subgenus Eleocharis) growing in wetlands throughout the Boreal Kingdom. E. palustris is not easily distinguished from other closely related species and is extremely variable worldwide ...more ↓

Barnyardgrass

Echinochloa crus-galli is a type of wild grass originating from tropical Asia that was formerly classified as a type of panicum grass. It is commonly known as cockspur (or cockspur grass), barnyard millet, Japanese millet, water grass, common barnyard grass, or simply "barnyard grass" (which may refer to any species of ...more ↓

yellow foxtail

Setaria pumila is a species of grass known by many common names, including yellow foxtail, yellow bristle-grass, pigeon grass, and cattail grass. It is native to Europe, but it is known throughout the world as a common weed. It grows in lawns, sidewalks, roadsides, cultivated fields, and many other places. This annual grass grows 20 centimeters to ...more ↓

Switchgrass

Panicum virgatum, commonly known as switchgrass, is a perennial warm season bunchgrass native to North America, where it occurs naturally from 55°N latitude in Canada southwards into the United States and Mexico. Switchgrass is one of the dominant species of the central North American tallgrass prairie and can be found in remnant prairies, in native grass pastures, and ...more ↓

little bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium, commonly known as little bluestem or beard grass, is a North American prairie grass. Little bluestem is a perennial bunchgrass and is prominent in tallgrass prairie, along with big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). It is a warm-season species, meaning it ...more ↓

big bluestem

Andropogon gerardi, known commonly as big bluestem, turkeyfoot, tall bluestem, and bluejoint, is a tall grass (family Poaceae) native to much of the Great Plains and prairie regions of central North America and grasslands, savannas and woodlands throughout eastern North America.

Fowl Mannagrass

Glyceria striata is a species of mannagrass known by the common names fowl mannagrass and ridged glyceria. It is native to much of North America, from Alaska and northern Canada to northern Mexico.

Redtop

Agrostis gigantea, known by its common name Redtop, is a perennial grass of the Agrostis genus.

ticklegrass

Agrostis scabra is a common species of grass known by the common names hair grass,rough bent grass,winter bent grass, and ticklegrass. A tumbleweed, It is a bunchgrass native to Asia and much of North America, and widely known elsewhere as an introduced species. It occurs in most of the United States except parts of the Southeast and most of Canada ...more ↓

prairie junegrass

Koeleria macrantha is a species of grass known by the common name prairie Junegrass. In the UK it is known as crested hair-grass. It is native to much of North America, from Alaska to California, from northern Mexico to the Eastern United States. It occurs in a large number of habitat types, especially prairie.

tall oat grass

Arrhenatherum elatius, with the common names false oat-grass, tall oat-grass, tall meadow oat, onion couch and tuber oat-grass, is a perennial species of grass, common in the temperate regions of Europe.

orchardgrass

Dactylis glomerata, also known as cock's-foot or orchard grass, is a common species of grass in the genus Dactylis. It is a cool-season perennial C3 bunchgrass native throughout most of Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa.

Arizona Fescue

Festuca arizonica, commonly called Arizona fescue, is a grass found in western North America, in the southwest United States and northern Mexico. This species also has the common names mountain bunchgrass and pinegrass.

Prairie Bluegrass

Poa arida is a species of grass known by the common names plains bluegrass and prairie speargrass. It is native to North America, where it occurs throughout western and central Canada and the central United States. It is most common east of the Continental Divide; specimens west are often misidentifications.

Flattened Meadow-grass

Poa compressa (Canada bluegrass or flattened meadowgrass) is a perennial flattened meadow grass, similar to Common Meadow-grass, Poa pratensis. It is native to Europe but it can be found nearly worldwide as an introduced species. It grows in old wall tops, pavement cracks, dry stony grassland, and many types of wild habitat. It has a flattened stem, 23–30 cm ...more ↓

Kentucky bluegrass

Poa pratensis, commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass, smooth meadow-grass, or common meadow-grass, is a perennial species of grass native to Europe, Asia, North America, and northern Africa. Poa pratensis forms a valuable pasture plant, characteristic of well-drained, fertile soil. It is also used for making lawns in parks and gardens and is common in ...more ↓

Timothy

Timothy-grass (Phleum pratense), is an abundant perennial grass native to most of Europe except for the Mediterranean region. It is also known simply as timothy, or as meadow cat's-tail or common cat's tail. It is one of the Phleum genus, consisting of about 15 species of annual and perennial grasses.

short-awn foxtail

Alopecurus aequalis is a common species of grass known by the common name shortawn foxtail.

smooth brome

Bromus inermis is a species of the true grass family (Poaceae). This rhizomatous grass is native to Europe.

cheatgrass

Bromus tectorum, known as drooping brome or cheatgrass, is a winter annual grass native to Europe, southwestern Asia, and northern Africa, but has become invasive in many other areas. It now is present in most of Europe, southern Russia, Japan, South Africa, Australia, New Zeland, Iceland, Greenland, North America and Asia. In the eastern US B. tectorum is ...more ↓

Canada Wild Rye

Elymus canadensis is a species of wild rye known by the common name Canada wild rye. This grass is native to much of North America, being most abundant in the central plains and Great Plains. It grows in a number of ecosystems, including riparian woodlands, many types of forest, lakeside sand dunes, and tallgrass prairie.

squirreltail

Elymus elymoides is a species of wild rye known by the common name squirreltail. This grass is native to most of North America west of the Mississippi River. It occurs in a number of ecosystems, from alpine forest to desert sage scrub to valley grassland.

Streamside Wild Rye

Elymus lanceolatus is a species of grass known by the common names thickspike wheatgrass and streamside wheatgrass. It is native to North America, where it is widespread and abundant in much of Canada and the western and central United States. There are two subspecies, ssp. lanceolatus occurring throughout the species' range and ssp. psammophilus ...more ↓

Meadow barley

Hordeum brachyantherum, known by the common name Meadow barley, is a species of barley. It is native to western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico, coastal areas of eastern-most Russia (Kamchatka), and a small area of coastal Newfoundland.

foxtail barley

Hordeum jubatum, with common names foxtail barley, bobtail barley squirreltail barley, and intermediate barley, is a perennial plant species in the grass family Poaceae. It occurs wild mainly in northern North America and adjacent northeastern Siberia. However, as it escaped often from gardens it can be found worldwide in areas with temperate to warm ...more ↓

little barley

Hordeum pusillum or little barley is a diploid annual grass native to the United States (except the westernmost parts), which arrived via multiple long-distance dispersals of a southern South American species of Hordeum about one million years ago. Its closest relatives are therefore not the other North American taxa like meadow barley (H. brachyantherum) or ...more ↓

wild rye

Leymus ambiguus is a species of grass known by the common names Colorado wildrye and Rocky Mountain wildrye. It is native to the Rocky Mountains of the United States, growing mainly on rocky hillsides on the eastern slopes of the mountains in Colorado and New Mexico; it has also been reported from Utah. It is a climax species on the dry grasslands of the Colorado ...more ↓

crested wheatgrass

Agropyron cristatum (crested wheat grass, crested wheatgrass, fairway crested wheat grass) is a species in the Poaceae family. This plant is often used as forage and erosion control. It is well known as a widespread introduced species on the prairies of the United States and Canada.

Clustered Wheat Grass

Agropyron desertorum (clustered wheat grass, desert crested wheatgrass, desert wheatgrass, standard crested wheatgrass; syn. Agropyron cristatum ssp. desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) A. Löve, Agropyron cristatum var. desertorum (Fisch. ex Link) Dorn) is a species in the Poaceae family which was originally from Russian and ...more ↓

Needle-and-Thread

Hesperostipa comata, commonly known as needle-and-thread grass, is a species of grass native to North America, especially the western third. It has a wide distribution spanning from northern Canada to Mexico.

green needlegrass

Nassella viridula is a species of grass known by the common name green needlegrass. It is native to North America, where it is widespread in western Canada and the western and central United States. It is introduced in parts of eastern North America.

Indian ricegrass

Oryzopsis hymenoides (Indian ricegrass) is a perennial cool-season bunchgrass. It is native to western North America east of the Cascades from British Columbia and Alberta south to southern California, northeastern Mexico, and Texas. In the wild it typically grows 4 to 24 inches (10 to 61 cm) tall and 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) wide.

Sand Ricegrass

Oryzopsis hymenoides (syn: Stipa hymenoides or Achnatherum hymenoides, common names: Indian ricegrass and sand rice grass) is a cool-season, perennial bunchgrass with narrow, rolled leaf blades. It is native to western North America east of the Cascades from British Columbia and Alberta south to southern California, northeastern Mexico, and Texas. In ...more ↓

purple three-awn

Aristida purpurea is a species of grass native to North America which is known by the common name purple three-awn. This grass is fairly widespread and can be found across the western two thirds of the United States, much of southern Canada and parts of northern Mexico. It is most abundant on the plains.

alkali sacaton

Sporobolus airoides is a species of grass known by the common name alkali sacaton. It is native to western North America, including the Western United States west of the Mississippi River, British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, and northern and central Mexico. It grows in many types of habitat, often in alkali soils, such as in California desert regions.

sand dropseed

Sporobolus cryptandrus is a species of grass known by the common name sand dropseed. It is native to North America, where it is widespread throughout southern Canada, most all of the United States, and northern Mexico.

stinkgrass

Eragrostis cilianensis is a species of grass known by several common names, including stinkgrass, candy grass, and gray lovegrass.

sideoats grama

Bouteloua curtipendula, commonly known as sideoats grama, is a perennial, short prairie grass that is native throughout the temperate and tropical Western Hemisphere, from Canada south to Argentina.

Buffalo Grass

Bouteloua dactyloides, commonly known as Buffalograss or Buffalo Grass, is a prairie grass native to North America. It is a shortgrass found mainly on the high plains and is co-dominant with blue grama (B. gracilis) over most of the shortgrass prairie.

blue grama

Blue grama grass, Bouteloua gracilis, is a long-lived, warm-season, C4 perennial grass, native to North America. It is most commonly found from Alberta, Canada, east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and U.S. Midwest states to Mexico. Blue grama accounts for most of the net primary productivity in the shortgrass prairie of the central and ...more ↓

mountain muhly

Muhlenbergia montana, with the common name Mountain muhly, is a species of grass. It is native to North and Central America, where it is found throughout the Western United States, the Sierra Nevada, Mexico, and Guatemala.

Green Muhly

Muhlenbergia racemosa is a species of grass known by the common names green muhly and marsh muhly. It is native to North America, where it is most common in the north-central United States. It also occurs in the western United States and northern Mexico.

narrow-leaved cattail

Typha angustifolia L., ( also lesser bulrush or narrowleaf cattail or lesser reedmace), is a perennial herbaceous plant of genus Typha. This cattail is an "obligate wetland" species that is commonly found in the northern hemisphere in brackish locations. The plant's leaves are flat, very narrow (¼"-½" wide), and 3'-6' tall when mature; 12-16 leaves ...more ↓

Common Bulrush

Typha latifolia (bulrush, common bulrush, broadleaf cattail, common cattail, great reedmace, cooper's reed, cumbungi) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Typha. It is found as a native plant species in North and South America, Europe, Eurasia, and Africa. In Canada, broadleaf cattail occurs in all provinces and the ...more ↓

Inland Rush

Juncus interior is a species of rush. It is known by the common name interior rush, and in its native range also as "soft rush" (which generally refers to J. effusus outside North America).

long-styled rush

Juncus longistylis is a species of rush known by the common name longstyle rush. It is native to much of North America, including most of the United States and the southern Canadian provinces. It grows in moist terrestrial habitat, such as mountain meadows. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb forming clumps of slender stems up to about 60 centimeters tall. The ...more ↓

Rocky Mountain rush

Juncus saximontanus is a species of rush known by the common name Rocky Mountain rush. It is native to much of western North America from Alaska to central Mexico, where it grows in wet habitat, often in mountainous areas, such as bogs and moist meadows.

soapweed yucca

Yucca glauca (syn. Yucca angustifolia) is a species of perennial evergreen plant, adapted to xeric (dry)growth conditions. It is also known as small soapweed,soapweed yucca, narrowleaf yucca, plains yucca and beargrass.

common starlily

Leucocrinum montanum, commonly known as the sand lily, starlily or mountain lily, is the only species in the monotypic genus Leucocrinum, placed in the family Asparagaceae, and subfamily Agavoideae. It is native to the western United States.

star-flowered lily-of-the-valley

Maianthemum stellatum (star-flowered, starry, or little false Solomon's seal, or simply false Solomon's seal; starry false lily-of-the-valley; syn. Smilacina stellata) is a species of flowering plant, native across North America generally from Alaska to California in the west and from Newfoundland to the central Appalachian Mountains in ...more ↓

western blue flag

Iris missouriensis (syn. I. montana) is a hardy flowering bulbous species of the genus iris, in the family Iridaceae. It is native to western North America. Its distribution is varied; it grows at high elevations in mountains and alpine meadows and all the way down to sea level in coastal hills. Its common names include "western blue flag", "Rocky Mountain iris" and ...more ↓

Strict Blue-eyed Grass

Sisyrinchium montanum, or strict blue-eyed grass, is a grass-like species of plants from the genus Sisyrinchium native to northern North America from Newfoundland west to easternmost Alaska, and south to Pennsylvania in the east, and to New Mexico in the Rocky Mountains.

Geyer's onion

Allium geyeri is a plant species widespread in the western United States and in western Canada. It is found in the Rocky Mountain States from New Mexico to Idaho, Great Basin, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, South Dakota, Arizona, Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Textile onion

Allium textile (prairie onion) is a common species of wild onion found in the central states of North America.

nodding onion

Allium cernuum, known as nodding wild onion and lady's leek, is a perennial plant in the genus Allium.

Gunnison's mariposa lily

Calochortus gunnisonii (Gunnison's mariposa lily) is a North American species of flowering plant in the lily family. It is native to the western United States, primarily in the Rocky Mountains and Black Hills: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, northwestern Nebraska (Sioux County) and eastern Idaho (Fremont County).

white twisted-stalk

Streptopus amplexifolius (twistedstalk,clasping twistedstalk,claspleaf twistedstalk,White Twisted-stalk, or watermelon berry) is a species of flowering plant in the family Liliaceae, native to North America, Europe and Asia.

Wood Lily

Lilium philadelphicum, also known as the Wood Lily, Philadelphia Lily, Prairie Lily or Western Red Lily, is a perennial species of lily native to North America. It is widely distributed across North America, found in all Canadian provinces except the Maritimes, as well as in most eastern and central states.

foothill deathcamas

Toxicoscordion paniculatum is a species of flowering plant known by the common names foothill deathcamas and sand-corn. It is widely distributed across much of the western United States, especially in the mountains and deserts of the Great Basin region west of the Rocky Mountains. It grows in many types of habitat, including sagebrush plateau, grasslands, forests, ...more ↓

Meadow Deathcamas

Toxicoscordion venenosum (syn. Zigadenus venenosus), commonly called death camas or meadow deathcamas, is a flowering plant in the genus Toxicoscordion belonging to the Melanthiaceae. It grows up to 70 cm tall with long, basal, grass-like leaves. The bulbs are oval and look like onions but do not smell like onions. The flowers are cream coloured or ...more ↓

western spiderwort

Tradescantia occidentalis (Western spiderwort or prairie spiderwort) is a plant in the dayflower family, Commelinaceae. It is listed as a threatened species in Canada.

dense spikemoss

Selaginella densa is a species of spikemoss known by the common names lesser spikemoss, prairie spikemoss, and Rocky Mountains spikemoss. It is native to western North America, where it can be found from Alaska to Ontario, the Dakotas, Texas and far northern California.

Star Moss

Tortula ruralis, commonly known as twisted moss and star moss, is a species of moss with a cosmopolitan distribution. It occurs in North America, the Pacific, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North and South Africa, South America, and Australia. It grows in many types of climate, including the Arctic, boreal areas, temperate areas, and deserts. It grows in tundra, ...more ↓

Edited by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)