Taxon: Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.

Summary

Genus:

Agropyron

Family:

Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)

Subfamily:

Pooideae

Tribe:

Triticeae

Nomen number:

102774

Place of publication:

Novi Comment. Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. 14(1):540. 1770

Verified:

05/20/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

614 (426 active, 411 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. subsp. brandzae (Pantu & Solacolu) Melderis (4 active accession[s])
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. subsp. cristatum (2 active accession[s])
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. subsp. pectinatum (M. Bieb.) Tzvelev (46 active accession[s])
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. subsp. pectinatum (M. Bieb.) Tzvelev unranked imbricatum (Roem. & Schult.) Beck (9 active accession[s])
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. subsp. pectinatum (M. Bieb.) Tzvelev var. pectinatum (M. Bieb.) Tzvelev (12 active accession[s])
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. subsp. sabulosum Lavrenko (0 active accession[s])
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. subsp. sclerophyllum Novopokr. ex Tzvelev (1 active accession[s])
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. subsp. tarbagataicum (N. Plotn.) Tzvelev (3 active accession[s])

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn. subsp. kazachstanicum Tzvelev
Agropyron deweyi Á. Löve
Agropyron muricatum Fisch. ex Eichw.
Agropyron ponticum Nevski

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Links

Florets – Seed ID Workshop image, from Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio State University
Forestry Images – from www.forestryimages.org

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. 1995. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. CRC Press. Note: Revised version of AH 170
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. 1981. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) 2:5. Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
Cronquist, A. et al. 1972-. Intermountain flora.
Czerepanov, S. K. 1995. Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR) Cambridge University Press.
Englert, J. M. et al. 1999. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Jiang, J. et al. 1994. Recent advances in alien gene transfer in wheat. Euphytica 73:199-212. Note: this review recognized both diploid and tetraploid Agropyron cristatum as part of the tertiary gene pool of wheat
Kharkevich, S. S., ed. 1985. Vascular plants of the Russian Far East. Note: also cited as "Vascular plants of the Soviet Far East", and "Sosud. Rast. Sovet. Dal'nego Vostoka"
Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
Li, L. H. & Y. S. Dong. 1991. Hybridization between Triticum aestivum L. and Agropyron michnoi Roshev. Theor. Appl. Genet. 81:312-316. Note: mentions hybrids between hexaploid Triticum aestivum and Agropyron cristatum by embryo rescue
Limin, A. E. & D. B. Fowler. 1990. An interspecific hybrid and amphidiploid produced from Triticum aestivum crosses with Agropyron cristatum and Agropyron desertorum. Genome 33:581-584. Note: this study used diploid plants of Agropyron cristatum as pollen donors; hybrids were obtained by embryo rescue
Löve, Á. 1984. Conspectus of the Triticeae. Feddes Repert. 95:431.
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006-. Flora of the Lower Volga region
Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:236. Note: lists as Agropyron cristatum (L.) P. Beauv.
Soreng, R. J. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): IV. Subfamily Pooideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 48:23.
Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
Ugarte, E. et al. 2011. Vascular alien flora, Chile. Check List 7:366.
Wang, R. R.-C. 2011. Chapter 2. Agropyron and Psathyrostachys. In: Kole, C., ed., Wild crop relatives: genomic and breeding resources, cereals 77-108.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Wu, J. et al. 2006. The introgression of chromosome 6P specifying for increased numbers of florets and kernels from Agropyron cristatum into wheat. Theor. Appl. Genet. 114:13-20.
Yu, X. et al. 2012. A genetic linkage map of crested wheatgrass based on AFLP and RAPD markers. Genome 55:327-335.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Note: forage crop

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	seq	Citation
English	crested wheatgrass		1	CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. 1981. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) 2:5. Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
English	desert wheatgrass		1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
English	fairway crested wheatgrass		1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
English	fairway wheatgrass		1	CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. 1981. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) 2:5. Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
Chinese	bing cao	冰草	2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
French	agropyre à crête		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French	agropyron accrêté		2	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
French	chiendent à crête		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
German	Kammquecke		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Italian	agropiro crestato		2	International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Spanish	agropiro		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	agropiro crestado		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedish	kamvete		2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transliterated Russian	žitnâk grebenčatyj		2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Armenia			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Azerbaijan			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Georgia			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia	Ciscaucasia		Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Gansu Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hebei Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Heilongjiang Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Nei Mongol Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Ningxia Huizi Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Qinghai Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kazakhstan			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kyrgyzstan			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Tajikistan			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Turkmenistan			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Uzbekistan			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Mongolia	Mongolia			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Russian Far East	Russian Federation	Amur		Kharkevich, S. S., ed. 1985. Vascular plants of the Russian Far East. Note: also cited as "Vascular plants of the Soviet Far East", and "Sosud. Rast. Sovet. Dal'nego Vostoka"
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Russian Far East	Russian Federation	Primorye		Kharkevich, S. S., ed. 1985. Vascular plants of the Russian Far East. Note: also cited as "Vascular plants of the Soviet Far East", and "Sosud. Rast. Sovet. Dal'nego Vostoka"
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Altay		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Buryatia		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Chita		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Gorno-Altay		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Irkutsk		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Kemerovskaja oblast'		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Krasnoyarsk		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Kurganskaja oblast'		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Novosibirsk		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Omsk		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation	Tyva, Respublika		Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iran
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Turkey			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Belarus			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Moldova			Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Astrakhan		Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006-. Flora of the Lower Volga region
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Kalmykija, Respublika		Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006-. Flora of the Lower Volga region
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Saratov		Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006-. Flora of the Lower Volga region
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Volgogradskaja oblast'		Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006-. Flora of the Lower Volga region
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation-European part	European part		Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine		incl. Krym	Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Hungary			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Slovakia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Albania			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Croatia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Greece			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	North Macedonia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Serbia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kazakhstan			Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia	Eastern Siberia		Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Western Siberia	Western Siberia		Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Northern America		Canada		w.	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Northern America		United States		c. & w.	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Southern South America	Chile			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Western South America	Peru			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
4	Naturalized					natzd. elsewhere in temperate regions	Asay, K. H. 1992. Breeding potentials in perennial Triticeae grasses. Hereditas (Beijing) 116:167-173. Note: Agropyron cristatum, a diploid, is member of a ploidic complex; it is used as forage and for breeding improvement of crested wheatgrass
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Czech Republic			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).

Native
Africa

NORTHERN AFRICA: Morocco

Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Iran, Turkey
CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
SIBERIA: Russian Federation [Altay, Buryatia, Chita, Gorno-Altay, Irkutsk, Kemerovskaja oblast', Krasnoyarsk, Kurganskaja oblast', Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tyva, Respublika]
MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
MONGOLIA: Mongolia
RUSSIAN FAR EAST: Russian Federation [Primorye, Amur]
CHINA: China [Gansu Sheng, Hebei Sheng, Heilongjiang Sheng, Nei Mongol Zizhiqu, Ningxia Huizi Zizhiqu, Qinghai Sheng, Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu]

Europe

MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part], Belarus, Moldova, Russian Federation [Kalmykija, Respublika, Astrakhan, Saratov, Volgogradskaja oblast'], Ukraine (incl. Krym)
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Italy, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain

Cultivated
Asia-Temperate

SIBERIA: Russian Federation-Western Siberia [Western Siberia], Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia [Eastern Siberia]
MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan

Northern America

REGION: Canada (w.), United States (c. & w.)

Southern America

WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Peru
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Chile

Naturalized

REGION:

Europe

MIDDLE EUROPE: Czech Republic

Reference(s)

Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
Asay, K. H. 1992. Breeding potentials in perennial Triticeae grasses. Hereditas (Beijing) 116:167-173. Note: Agropyron cristatum, a diploid, is member of a ploidic complex; it is used as forage and for breeding improvement of crested wheatgrass
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Kharkevich, S. S., ed. 1985. Vascular plants of the Russian Far East. Note: also cited as "Vascular plants of the Soviet Far East", and "Sosud. Rast. Sovet. Dal'nego Vostoka"
Krasnoborov, I. M., ed. 2000-. Flora of Siberia (English translation)
Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006-. Flora of the Lower Volga region
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Animal food	fodder	Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. 1995. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. CRC Press. Note: Revised version of AH 170
Animal food	forage	Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. 1995. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. CRC Press. Note: Revised version of AH 170
Environmental	erosion control	Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. 1995. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. CRC Press. Note: Revised version of AH 170
Environmental	lawn/turf	Cronquist, A. et al. 1972-. Intermountain flora.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=102774. Accessed 11 May 2026.