Species: Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus Buckl.

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Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus Buckl.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Elymus

Species Synonyms:

Elymus glaucus var. breviaristatus Burtt-Davy

Common Names:

blue wildrye
smooth wildrye

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

Yukon – British Columbia – southern Saskatchewan – southern Manitoba – Ontario

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills – Wood Mountain – Saltcoats

Ecoregion:

Cypress Upland, Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland, Mid-Boreal Lowland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

open woods and thickets

Associated Species:

bluntleaf sandwort, Canadian white violet, false Solomon’s-seal, nodding brome, northern bedstraw

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Vulnerable

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Blue wildrye is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. No immediate threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

50 – 100 cm

Roots:

fibrous; rhizomes short or absent

Stems:

tufted, hollow, slender, often with the base lying on the ground

Leaves:

blades 6 – 20 cm long, 5 – 10 mm wide, flat, usually bluish, rough-hairy; sheaths rough-hairy; ligule 0.5 - 2 mm long, square, torn; ear-like lobes at the base of the leaf well-developed, 1 – 2.5 mm long, clasping stem

Inflorescence:

spikes erect or nodding, 5 – 15 cm long, dense; central axis rough-hairy to hairless

Spikelets:

usually 2 per node, 3 – 6-flowered

Florets:

glumes 7 – 14 mm long, 1 – 4 mm wide, linear, apex pointed or awned, margin membranous; lemmas 8 – 13 m long, hairless or rough-hairy, awn straight; paleas nearly equal to lemmas

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.