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Grass Gallery
Poaceae, Pooideae, Triticeae - Wildrye
(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)
tribe Triticeae
Canada Wildrye (Nodding Wildrye) Elymus canadensis
5" long head. Lemma 12mm long, awns 20mm long curved.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Shackelford, Runnels, Brown)
Base: perennial, single or in clumps, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): elongate, 4-12mm wide, on culm
Auricles (ear shaped appendage): at blade sheath junction, slender, fragile
Culm (main grain stem): decumbent at base but reaching 80-150cm tall
Inflorescence: dense, erect or nodding, 8-20cm long
Spikelet: 3-5 flowered
Glume: flat, equal length with awns longer than the body
Lemma: glabrous, 0.8 to over 1cm long to base of awns
Awns: 1.5-5mm long, curving when dry
tribe Triticeae
Texas Wildrye Elymus interruptus (Elymus canadensis var. interruptus)
7" long head. Lemma 10mm long, awns 30mm long nearly straight.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July 2004, July 2007
(Native of Texas)
Base: perennial, single or in clumps, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): elongate, 4-12mm wide, on culm
Auricles (ear shaped appendage): at blade sheath junction, slender, fragile
Culm (main grain stem): decumbent at base but reaching 80-150cm tall
Inflorescence: dense, erect or nodding, 8-20cm long
Spikelet: 3-5 flowered
Glume: cylindrical, 15-30mm long, 0.5mm wide at middle, equal length with awns longer than the body
Lemma: glabrous, 8-9mm long to base of awns
Awns: 15-20mm long, straight when dry
Other Species In My Area
Squirreltail (Swezey, Western Bottle-brush Grass) Elymus elymoides ssp. brevifolius (Elymus longifolius)
Bunchgrass grows 6"-18" tall, no rhizomes. Bristly spike, 1"-3" long, often partially covered by sheath. Awns 1 1/2"-3" long. Dry heads twist with twisting awns.
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Shackelford, Runnels)
Slender Wildrye (Slender Wheatgrass) Elymus trachycaulus
Seed head looks like a stick. No awns.
(Native of Texas)
Virginia Wildrye Elymus virginicus
Erect inflorescence. Red auricles. Waxy nodes.
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Brown)
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