An Assessment of Exotic Plant Species of Rocky Mountain National Park

Prepared by

Chris R. Rutledge
Dr. Terry McLendon
Department of Rangeland Ecosystem Science, Colorado State University

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Approach
• Methods
• Results
• Table 2 - Summary of Screening Assessment Results
• Table 3 - Summary of Final Assessment Results

• Abstracts for Exotic Plant Species of Concern - Final Assessment
  • Agropyron repens -- Quackgrass, couchgrass
  • Bromus inermis -- Smooth Brome
  • Bromus tectorum -- Downy brome, downy chess, cheatgrass
  • Carduus nutans -- Musk thistle, plumeless thistle
  • Centaurea diffusa -- Tumble knapweed, diffuse knapweed
  • Centaurea maculosa -- Spotted knapweed
  • Chrysanthemem leucanthemem -- Oxe-eye daisy, white daisy
  • Cirsium arvense -- Canada thistle, creeping thistle
  • Cirsium vulgare -- Bull thistle, spear thistle
  • Convolvulus arvensis -- Field bindweed, morning glory
  • Dactylis glomerata -- Orchard grass, cocksfoot
  • Euphorbia esula -- Leafy spurge
  • Gypsophilia paniculata -- Babysbreath
  • Hypericum perforatum -- Klamath weed, St. John's wort, goatweed
  • Linaria dalmatica ssp. dalmatica -- Dalmatian toadflax
  • Linaria vulgaris -- Butter and eggs, yellow toadflax, wild snapdragon
  • Lythrum salicaria -- Purple loosestrife, purple lythrum
  • Melilotus alba and M. officinalis -- White sweetclover, Honey clover and Yellow sweetclover
  • Phalaris arundinaceae -- Reed canary grass
  • Poa pratensis -- Kentucky bluegrass
  • Sonchus arvensis -- Meadow sowthistle, perennial sowthistle, creeping sowthistle

• Literature Review Summary Information for Remaining Exotic Species
  • Agropyron cristatum -- Crested wheatgrass
  • Erodium cicutarium -- Redstem filaree
  • Polygonum arenastrum -- Knotweed
  • Agropyron intermedium -- Intermediate wheatgrass
  • Erodium cicutarium -- Redstem filaree
  • Polygonum convolvulus -- Black bindweed
  • Agrostis stolonifera -- Redtop
  • Erysimum cheiranthoides -- Treacle mustard
  • Potentilla norvegica -- Norway cinquiefoil
  • Alopecuris pratensis -- Meadow foxtail grass
  • Festuca ovina -- Sheep fescue
  • Psathyrostachys juncea -- Russian wildrye
  • Alyssum alyssoides -- Yellow alyssum
  • Festuca pratensis -- Meadow fescue
  • Rheum rhubarbarum -- Rhubarb
  • Amaranthus retroflexus -- Redroot pigweed
  • Hieracium aurantiacum -- Orange hawkweek
  • Rumex acetosella -- Sheep sorrel
  • Ambrosia tomentosa -- Skeleton Leaf Bursage
  • Lactuca serriola -- Prickly letttuce
  • Rumex crispix -- Curly dock
  • Arabis glabra -- Tower Mustard
  • Lappula occidentalis var. occidentalis -- Beggar's tick
  • Salsola iberica -- Russian thistle
  • Asparagus officinalis -- Asparagus
  • Lepidium campestre -- Field Cress
  • Sisymbrium altissimum -- Jill Hill Mustard
  • Barbarea vulgaris -- Bitter Wintercress
  • Lepidium densiflorum -- Peppergrass
  • Sisymbrium officinale -- Common hedge mustard
  • Berteroa incana -- Hoary alyssum
  • Lepidium perfoliatum -- Clasping pepperweed
  • Solanum triflorum -- Cut leafed nightshade
  • Bromus japonicus -- Japanese brome
  • Lolium perenne -- Perennial ryegrass
  • Spergularia rubra -- Red sandspurry
  • Camelina microcarpa -- Smallseed falseflax
  • Lychnis alba -- White campion
  • Taraxacum officinale -- Dandelion
  • Capsella bursa-pastoris -- Common shepherd's purse
  • Matricaria matricaroides --Pineapple weed
  • Thlapsi arvense -- Field pennycress
  • Carum carvi -- Wild caraway
  • Matricaria perforata -- Wild chamomile
  • Tragopogon dubius -- Western salsify
  • Cerastium vulgatum -- Mouseear chickweed
  • Medicago lupulina -- Black medic
  • Trifolium hybridum -- Aliske clover
  • Chenopodium album -- Lambsquarters
  • Mentha spicata -- Spearmint
  • Trifolium pratense -- Red clover
  • Chenopodium capitum -- Strawberry blite
  • Onobrychis viciaefolia -- Sanfion
  • Trifolium repens -- White clover
  • Chenopodium glaucum -- Oak-leafed goosefoot
  • Phleum pratense -- Timothy
  • Triticum aestivum -- Wheat
  • Conium maculatum -- Poison hemlock
  • Plantago major -- Broadleaf
  • Verbascum thapsus -- Woody mullein
  • Conyza canadensis -- Horseweed
  • Poa annua -- Annual bluegrass
  • Verbena-bracteata -- Prostrate vervain
  • Cynoglossum officinale -- Houndstongue
  • Poa bulbosa -- Bulbous bluegrass
  • Descurainia sophia -- Flixweed
  • Poa compressa -- Canada bluegrass

• Appendix I - List of Exotic Plants of Rocky Mountain National Park (Includes common names and synonyms)
• Appendix II - Ranking System for Rocky Mountain National Park
• Appendix III - Useful References