CRESTED WHEATGRASS--Agropyron cristatum (A. desertorum)
Description:  This early growing, cool-season bunchgrass is easily identified because of its flattened seed heads which are highly variable in size, mostly 1 1/4 to 3 1/4 inches long.  Normal plant height is 1 1/2 to 3 feet.  The moderately coarse leaves are mostly basal and flat when growing, have auricles, and tend to roll inward when dry. page 17
Distribution, habitat:  Crested wheatgrass is a late 1800s introduction from Siberia, gaining favor as a soil holder during the drought of the 1930s when it was recognized as being highly drought tolerant.  It has been widely planted in the drier portions of the Great Plains and farther west in areas receiving 8 to 20 inches of precipitation annually.  In these areas more acreage of crested wheatgrass has been planted for forage and soil stabilization than any other introduced grass.  In South Dakota, the abundance of crested wheatgrass decreases from west to east, with very little of the grass appearing in the eastern third of the state.
Comments:  Early spring growth and ability to withstand drought and spring grazing make crested wheatgrass a prized pasture grass in range country.  It is palatable and nutritious when actively growing.  Crested wheatgrass has good production, excellent persistence, and grows well with alfalfa.  Responses to fertilization are good.  Productivity of old stands that have become decadent can be improved markedly by nitrogen fertilization.  Crested wheatgrass does not tolerate salty soil or prolonged flooding.  Several cultivars exist, including 'Hycrest,' 'Ephraim,' 'Parkway,' 'Ruff,' 'Nordan,' and 'Fairway.' Picture and information can be found on pages 16 and 17 of Grassland Plants of South Dakota and the Northern Great Plains, by James R. Johnson and Gary E. Larson.  Published in 1999 by South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD.