Flora of North America species comparison

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Xerophyllum tenax
Xerophyllum tenax

bear-grass, common beargrass, elk-grass, Indian-basket-grass, quip-quip, soap grass, squaw-grass, western turkeybeard
Stems

(0.8–)1.2–1.8(–2) m.
Leaf

blade 2–8(–10) dm × 2–4(–6) mm.
Racemes

5–7 dm.
Capsules

5–7 mm.
Seeds

4 per locule.
Tepals

oblong to lanceolate, 6–9 × 2–3 mm;

styles 4 mm.
2n

= 30.

Xerophyllum tenax
Phenology Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Open coniferous woods, dry ridges, rocky slopes, and clearings
Elevation 0–2300 m (0–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Xerophyllum tenax, variable in plant and flower size, is without evident geographic races (S. M. Maule 1959). Similar in most respects to X. asphodeloides but more robust, X. tenax typically has twice the number of flowers (F. H. Utech 1978c). The leaf fibers were used by native tribes for garments and decorative, watertight baskets. The bulbous rhizomes were roasted for several days before being eaten.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 72.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Xerophyllum
Sibling taxa
X. asphodeloides
Synonyms Helonias tenax, X. douglasii
Name authority (Pursh) Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 235. (1818)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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