Elymus Virginicus Awn

Wild rye grasses by its erect spikelets with straight awns the lack of significant hair on its foliage and the width of its glumes about 1 mm.

Elymus virginicus awn.

Elymus virginicus is a clump forming cool season perennial grass. Halophilus virginia wildrye elymus virginicus var. Native introduced native and introduced. It is commonly found in moist wooded habitats such as floodplain forest river and stream banks less often in open prairies meadows or roadsides.

Elymus curvatus piper is known from near lake superior in minnesota ontario and wisconsin and could occur in the western upper peninsula. Rye elymus riparius is perhaps most similar in appearance to silky wild rye elymus villosus because both of these grasses produce nodding inflorescences that are more slender than those of canada wild rye elymus canadensis. Lemma awns absent or up to 3 mm long and leaf blades often somewhat involute usually ascending vs. Virginicus virginia wildrye.

Virginicus but has lemmas awnless or with vestigial awns less than 4 mm long whereas e. Virginia wild rye can be distinguished from other elymus spp. Virginicus with lemma awns mostly 3 15 mm long and leaf blades flat or involute usually laxly spreading. Blades have a green or silver blue color and a waxy sheen.

Glumes and lemmas pubescent 3a. The plants database includes the following 2 subspecies of elymus virginicus. Dry mesic deciduous forests usually occurring on hills ridges including trap rock in shallow soils associated with quercus and or carya. The seed heads are more erect than those of canada wildrye which typically bow or droop philips petroleum company 1963.

Click below on a thumbnail map or name for subspecies profiles. Virginicus has most lemmas awned longer than 5 mm. The tufted foliage is narrow and evergreen or semi evergreen. Elymus virginicus commonly called virginia wild rye is a cool season perennial bunch grass which typically grows in a clump to 2 4 tall.

Glabriflorus vasey ex dewey bush ct ma ri. Virginia wild rye is one of the most common in the state present in all but a few counties. There are 10 elymus species in minnesota not counting vars subspecies. The inflorescences of the latter grass also.