Koeleria spicata (Linnaeus) Barberá, Quintanar, Soreng, & P.M. Peterson ssp. spicata. Common name: Alpine Oat-grass, Spike Trisetum. Phenology: Jun-Aug. Habitat: Mountain cliffs at high elevations on metabasalt (NC and VA), open shale outcrops (PA). Distribution: A circumboreal species, widespread and common in arctic and alpine areas, south in e. North America to New England, NY, and, rarely, PA, and disjunct to Hawksbill Mountain, Page County, VA (where extant) and Roan Mountain, Mitchell County, NC (where not seen since the 19th century); in w. North America south to montane Mexico and Guatemala; West Indies; s. South America.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Randall & Hilu (1986) treated the traditional Trisetum spicatum as a polymorphic species, consisting of several ploidies and multiple taxa recognized at species and infraspecific ranks by various works around the northern hemisphere.

Synonymy ⓘ: = Barberá et al (2019); Aira spicata L.; = Trisetum subspicatum (L.) P.Beauv. — S13; < Koeleria spicata (L.) Barberá, Quintanar, Soreng, & P.M.Peterson — K4; < Trisetum spicatum (L.) K.Richt. — C, FNA24, HC, Meso6, Mex, NE, NY, Pa, S, Va, Arnow (1994); > Trisetum spicatum (L.) K.Richt. var. maidenii (Gand.) Fernald — F; > Trisetum spicatum (L.) K.Richt. var. molle (Michx.) Beal — F, G, RAB; > Trisetum spicatum (L.) K.Richt. var. pilosiglume Fernald — F, Mi, Finot et al (2005); > Trisetum spicatum (L.) K.Richt. var. spicatum — Finot et al (2005); > Trisetum triflorum (Bigelow) Á.Löve & D.Löve ssp. molle (Michx.) Á.Löve & D.Löve — W. Basionym: Aira spicata L. 1753

Links to other floras: < Trisetum spicatum - FNA24

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (name change)
• Great Plains: FACU (name change)
• Northcentral & Northeast: FAC (name change)

Heliophily ⓘ: 9