Tufted twinpod.
NPS photo by Clay Kyte
The Grass/Forb type is dominated by Sandberg bluegrass (
P. sandbergii), but Indian ricegrass
(Achnatherum hymenoides) and wheatgrasses are also present. Common forbs include stemless goldenweed
(Stenotus acaulis var. acaulis), Hood's phlox (
Phlox hoodii), and starveling milkvetch (
Astragalus jejenus). This type thrives on drier sites with shallow soil, such as rocky ridges. The Grass/Forb type also exists where fire has burned shrubby vegetation types. Rock outcrops and barren windswept ridges were mapped as the Barren type. Some areas are nearly devoid of vegetation; others support widely-spaced cushion plants, grasses, and forbs such as tufted twinpod (
Physaria condensata).
