Near Dolores in Montezuma County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Indian Ricegrass
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2025
1. Indian Ricegrass Marker
A common grass throughout lower elevations of the Colorado Plateau, ricegrass is easily identifiable by its lacy appearance. Ricegrass seeds ripen in late summer and provide valuable winter food for birds and rodents.
Seeds were gathered by brushing the seeds into baskets or onto pieces of buckskin with willow branches or small woven fans A day's labor could result in about a fourth of a bushel of clean seeds.
Jan Pettit
Utes: The Mountain People
Johnson Publishing Company, Boulder, CO
Erected by The Colorado Historical Society, the Bureau of Land Management, the Family of Nellie Mulnix Joy and the Frankston Family.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 37° 28.606′ N, 108° 32.83′ W. Marker is near Dolores, Colorado, in Montezuma County. It can be reached from State Highway 184 at milepost 7, on the right when traveling west. The marker is on the Escalante Pueblo Trail at the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the American Mountain West, in Colorado Plateau, and at the Four Corners. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Skunkbush Sumac (a few steps from this marker); Yucca (a few steps from this marker); A Path Well Traveled (within shouting distance of this marker); Gambel Oak (within shouting distance of this marker); Dominguez Pueblo (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mountain Mahogany (about 500 feet away); Mesa Verde National Park & Ute Mountain Tribal Park (about 500 feet away); Rabbitbrush (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dolores.
Also see . . . Eriocoma hymenoides (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: Indian ricegrass or sand rice grass is native to western North America east of the(Submitted on December 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)Cascades from British Columbia and Alberta south to southern California, northeastern Mexico, and Texas. It grows in a variety of habitats from desert scrub to ponderosa pine forests.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 20252. Indian Ricegrass MarkerThe grass was a staple food of Native Americans, especially when the maize crop failed, and for non-agricultural tribes. Seed of the ricegrass was gathered and ground into meal or flour and made into bread.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2025
3. Indian Ricegrass
Credits. This page was last revised on December 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 19, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 50 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
