Evaluation location: , United States
Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides [Roemer & J.A. Schultes] Barkworth) is a widely distributed, highly desirable native
species in desert ecosystems in the western United States. Yet there are no studies linking genetic variation in Indian ricegrass
with climate across major areas of its natural distribution. In this study, seeds from 106 collection locations from the
southwestern United States were established in common gardens and four phenological traits (Phen; such as blooming date), six
production traits (Pro; such as dry weight), and eight morphology traits (Morph; such as leaf dimensions) were measured in
2007 and 2008. Analyses of variance revealed that all basic garden traits differed among source locations (P,0.01), indicating
widespread genetic variation.
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