Howell's alkaligrass facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Howell's alkaligrass
Conservation status
Critically Imperiled (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Pooideae
Genus:	Puccinellia
Species:	P. howellii
Binomial name
Puccinellia howellii J.I.Davis
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Puccinellia howellii is a very rare type of grass. Its common name is Howell's alkaligrass. This special grass only grows in one place in the world! That place is Shasta County, California, inside the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It lives near Whiskeytown.

The entire population of this grass fits into a small area, about the size of one acre. This area has three special mineral springs. These springs have salty water. They are right next to Highway 299. Scientists first learned about this grass in 1990. Even after many searches, no other groups of this grass have been found anywhere else.

In 2018, a big wildfire called the Carr Fire burned the hills around these salty springs. But the wet, rocky ground where the grass grows mostly did not burn. So, the Puccinellia howellii grass survived the fire!

About Howell's Alkaligrass

Puccinellia howellii is a perennial bunchgrass. This means it lives for many years and grows in clumps. Its stems can grow up to 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) tall. It often forms thick patches of just its own kind.

The grass has a special flower cluster called an inflorescence. This is a group of branches a few centimeters long. The lower branches bend downwards as the seeds grow.

How It Reproduces

This grass only makes new plants from seeds. But it takes a while for the plants to be ready to make seeds. An individual grass plant must be at least two years old before it can produce any seeds.

The plants are mostly quiet or "dormant" during warm months. This is when the soil becomes very salty. The seeds start to grow, or germinate, during wet seasons. This is when more water flows in and makes the salt less strong.

Where It Lives

The only group of this grass has thousands of individual plants. It is the main type of plant in its tiny home of mineral springs. It grows with other plants that like salt. These are called halophytes. Examples include saltgrass and seaside arrowgrass.

Why This Grass Needs Our Help

This grass is already super rare. It faces several dangers that could make it disappear forever.

One big problem is polluted water running off the nearby highway. This water can harm the grass's home. The grass needs very specific amounts of moisture, pH (how acidic or basic the soil is), and salt in the soil. These levels change throughout the year. Any changes can hurt the plant. Also, too much sediment (dirt or sand) flowing into its habitat can be a problem.

It might sound strange, but freshwater is actually a "pollutant" for this grass! If too much freshwater flows into the springs, it makes the water less salty. The grass needs salty water to survive. So, plans are in place to keep freshwater away from the springs.

Other dangers include animals like black-tailed deer eating the grass. Garbage thrown from the road can also harm its habitat. Finally, "random events" could affect the whole group of plants. This means things like a sudden big flood or a disease could wipe out the entire population.