Part 3: Plant Classification

Examples of Common Western Rangeland Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes

This list is just a sample of grasses, sedges and rushes commonly found on western rangelands. It is by no means complete. The wide range of climate and topographical characteristics creates vastly different environments throughout western rangelands that support many different species of plants.

A great resource for plant information and identification is the Plants Database developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service. This site allows you to reference plants by common or scientific name and provides information about plant characteristics and distribution. Clink on the link to the database and then enter the scientific name or common name of the plant you want to investigate. Other good resources are The Nature Conservancy’s image archive, the Arizona Flora and Fauna Image Gallery, and the CalPhotos: Plants web site.