Species: Elymus elymoides ssp. elymoides (Raf.) Swezey

comments | credits | copyright

Back to: Plants at Risk in Saskatchewan

Elymus elymoides ssp. elymoides (Raf.) Swezey

Species Image Gallery
(opens in a new window)

TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Elymus

Species Synonyms:

Elymus sitanion J.A. Schultes
Sitanion elymoides Raf.
Sitanion hystrix (Nutt.) J.G. Sm

Common Names:

squirreltail
western bottlebrush grass
bottlebrush squirreltail

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia – southwestern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan; Empress – Val Marie

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland, Cypress Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

dry, eroded, clay banks and benches

Associated Species:

longleaf wormwood, needle-and-thread grass, tufted fleabane

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

Vulnerable

COSEWIC Status:

None

Squirreltail is threatened because of rarity in Saskatchewan. It is regionally restricted to one general region of the province and is almost always locally sparse. Possible threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 50

Roots:

fibrous

Stems:

tufted, hollow, erect or spreading, smooth

Leaves:

blades flat to rolled, 1 – 4 mm wide, ridged above, upper surface rough hairy, lower surface hairless to short hairy; sheaths hairless to hairy, upper often inflated; ligule membranous, 0.1 – 0.5 mm long, tip square; ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf present

Inflorescence:

spikes 2 – 15 cm long (including awns), green or purplish; spikelets 2 per node, on alternating sides at each node; central axis separating at maturity

Spikelets:

2 – 3-flowered

Florets:

glumes triangular, very narrow, 1 – 2-nerved; glume awn 5 – 9 cm long, rough-hairy, divergent at maturity; lemma rough-hairy to short-hairy, 5-nerved, awned from the tip; lemma awns 1 – 3, widely spreading rough-hairy; palea nearly equal to the lemma

Fruits:

grain

ELYMUS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Spikelets 2 or 3 at each node or central axis, 1 – 6-flowered; lemmas obscurely 5-nerved	2
1 Spikelets solitary at each node of central axis, each spikelet with at least 2 florets; lemmas 5 – 7-nerved	8

2 Glumes, if present, bristle-like, divided to base into 2 divergent awns; central axis of spike readily separating; plants mostly 10 – 50 cm tall	E. elymoides ssp. elymoides
2 Glumes bristle-like or not; central axis of spike not readily separating; plants mostly taller than 50 cm	3

3 Glume margins membranous, not nerved; lemmas hairless to rough hairy	E. glaucus ssp. glaucus
3 Glume margins thickened, hard, and nerved; lemmas densely hairy	4

4 Glumes bristle-like, reduced or absent, usually < 6 mm long (excluding awn) and 0.5 mm wide	E. diversiglumis
4 Glumes linear, usually at least 1 cm long (excluding awn) and 1 – 2 mm wide	5

5 Glumes shorter than lemma body; lemma awns divergent at maturity; base of glume flattened	6
5 Glumes equal to or longer than lemma body; lemma awns straight at maturity; base of glume rounded or bowed	7

6 Leaves firm, hairless or rough hairy above; spikes arching; palea to 1.1 cm long	E. canadensis var. canadensis
6 Leaves thin, long hairy above; spike pendulous; palea to 1.5 cm long	E. canadensis var. wiegandii

7 Glumes and lemmas long-awned (to 1.5 cm)	E. virginicus var. virginicus
7 Glumes and lemmas sharp-tipped to short-awned (< 2 mm)	E. virginicus var. submuticus

8 Rhizomes short or absent; florets separating above the glumes; anthers 1.5 – 2 mm long	9
8 Rhizomes long and creeping; florets separating below the glumes; anthers 3 – 7 mm long	10

9 Awns equal to or longer than lemma	E. trachycaulus ssp. subsecundus
9 Awns absent or much shorter than lemma	E. trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus

10 Leaves flat, 4 – 8 mm wide, green; lemmas hairless or nearly so	E. repens
10 Leaves rolled, 1 – 3 mm wide, bluish; lemmas usually hairy	11

11 Glumes 2 – 3-nerved; lemmas long-awned	E. albicans
11 Glumes 3 – 5-nerved; lemmas awnless	12

12 Spikes to 25 cm long, central axis hairy below spikelets; glumes conspicuously 5-nerved; lemmas densely hairy	E. lanceolatus ssp. psammophilus
12 Spikes to 15 cm long, central axis hairless below spikelets; glumes 3-nerved, only the midvein conspicuous; lemmas hairless or hairy	13

13 Lemmas hairless or rough-hairy	E. lanceolatus ssp. lanceolatus var. riparium
13 Lemmas long-hairy	E. lanceolatus ssp. lanceolatus var. lanceolatus

*Elymus hybrids occur naturally in Saskatchewan. E. X maltei (E. canadensis x E. virginicus) and E. X pseudorepens (E. trachycaulus x E. lanceolatus) are examples.