Elymus
By Bruce Homer-Smith
Elymus
is a genus of grasses that includes Wheat Grass, Wild Rye, Squirreltail
and Medusa Head. It’s in the Wheat Tribe.
·
They
have a spike inflorescence, with spikelets attaching directly to the stem. (Giant Wild Rye is an exception).
·
Spikelets
are laterally compressed (flattened rather than cylindrical).
·
Spikelets
often form in 2 ranks, creating a flattish inflorescence.
·
Spikelets
have two or more florets that are often awned.
They generally stick out a bit beyond the glumes.
·
Two
of the longest-awned plants in California are Elymus – Medusa Head and Big Squirrel Tail. They have awns on the florets and the glumes.
Here
are some examples:
Spikelets form a woven pattern along the stem.
Slender Wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus ssp.
trachycaulus Photo by Wilde Legard |
Spikelets are 2-ranked and pressed into the stem. Beardless Wild Rye (Elymus triticoides) Photo by Wilde Legard |
These have really long awns.
Big Squirrel Tail Grass (Elymus multisetus) Photo by Wilde Legard |
Medusa Head (Elymus caput-medusae) Photo by Wilde Legard |
Elyo is the Greek word
for “rolled up”. It refers to the grain
being tightly embraced by the lemma and
palea.
California
has 40 species of Elymus. 39 of them are perennial, expanding each year
either as bunch grasses or through rhizomes.
The only exception is the annual, non-native Medusa Head.
Corrections/Comments: bruce@PlantID.net Copyright: https://PlantID.net/Contributors.aspx |