Species: Elymus lanceolatus ssp. psammophilus (Gillett & Senn) A. Löve

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Elymus lanceolatus ssp. psammophilus (Gillett & Senn) A. Löve

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Elymus

Species Synonyms:

Agropyron psammophilum Gillett & Senn
Agropyron dasystachyum var. psammophilum (Gillett & Senn) E.G. Voss
Agropyron dasystachyum ssp. psammophilum (Gillett & Senn) D.R. Dewey

Common Names:

sand-dune wheatgrass
streambank wheatgrass

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

central Saskatchewan – southwestern Manitoba, southern Ontario

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Saskatoon – Elbow Sand Hills – Corning

Ecoregion:

Moist Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

active sand dune blowouts

Associated species:

Achnatherum hymenoides, Calamovilfa longifolia, Psoralidium lanceolatum, Sporobolus cryptandrus

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5T3 T2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

Vulnerable (DD)

COSEWIC Status:

None

Elymus lanceolatus ssp. psammophilus is threatened because it is rare in Saskatchewan and is limited to sandy environments in the southern part of the province. Most local populations are small. Possible threats have been identified but more information is needed on this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

40 – 110 cm

Roots:

rhizomes long, creeping

Stems:

perennial, erect, hollow, glaucous

Leaves:

5 – 25 cm long, 1 – 4 mm wide, scabrous or pilose to glabrous, usually involute; sheaths usually finely strigose; ligules 0.1 – 0.6 mm long; auricles often present and conspicuous

Inflorescence:

spikes compact, 3 – 25 cm long; rachis pubescent below the spikelet

Spikelets:

spikelets 1 per node, loosely to closely imbricate, 4 – 7-flowered

Florets:

glumes 4 – 8 mm long, unequal, broadest above the middle, apex acute to acuminate, conspicuously 5-nerved, pubescent to glabrous, margin scarious; lemmas 6.5 – 10 mm long, densely villous, may be awned; palea to 11 mm long, as long as lemma

Fruits:

caryopsis

ELYMUS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

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

2 Glumes, if present, setaceous, divided to base into 2 divergent awns; spike rachis readily disarticulating; plants mostly 10 – 50 cm tall	E. elymoides ssp. elymoides
2 Glumes setaceous or not; spike rachis not readily disarticulating; plants mostly taller than 50 cm	3

3 Glume margins membranous, not nerved; lemmas glabrous to scabrous	E. glaucus ssp. glaucus
3 Glume margins thickened, hard, and nerved; lemmas densely pubescent	4

4 Glumes setaceous, 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 terete or bowed	7

6 Leaves firm, adaxially glabrous or scabrous; spikes arching; palea to 1.1 cm long	E. canadensis var. canadensis
6 Leaves thin, adaxially pilose; 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 mucronate to short-awned (< 2 mm)	E. virginicus var. submuticus

8 Rhizomes short or absent; florets disarticulating above the glumes; anthers 1.5 – 2 mm long	9
8 Rhizomes long and creeping; florets disarticulating 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 glabrous or nearly so	E. repens
10 Leaves involute, 1 – 3 mm wide, glaucous; lemmas usually pubescent	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; rachis pubescent below spikelets; glumes conspicuously 5-nerved; lemmas densely villous	E. lanceolatus ssp. psammophilus
12 Spikes to 15 cm long; rachis glabrous below spikelets; glumes 3-nerved, only the midvein conspicuous; lemmas glabrous or villous	13

13 Lemmas glabrous or scabrous	E. lanceolatus ssp. lanceolatus var. riparium
13 Lemmas villous	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.