Elymus Virginicus Awn

Bristly wheat like spikey flower with hair like awns form in late spring.

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 curvatus piper is known from near lake superior in minnesota ontario and wisconsin and could occur in the western upper peninsula. The seed heads are more erect than those of canada wildrye which typically bow or droop philips petroleum company 1963. Virginicus but has lemmas awnless or with vestigial awns less than 4 mm long whereas e.

Virginicus with lemma awns mostly 3 15 mm long and leaf blades flat or involute usually laxly spreading. It is similar to canada wildrye elymus canadensis in appearance but is typically shorter in height with shorter awns on the seed head. Virginia wild rye is one of the most common in the state present in all but a few counties. The plants database includes the following 2 subspecies of elymus virginicus.

There are 10 elymus species in minnesota not counting vars subspecies. Glumes and lemmas pubescent 3a. 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. Blades have a green or silver blue color and a waxy sheen.

Glabriflorus vasey ex dewey bush ct ma ri. Native introduced native and introduced. The tufted foliage is narrow and evergreen or semi evergreen. Virginicus virginia wildrye.

Click below on a thumbnail map or name for subspecies profiles. Dry mesic deciduous forests usually occurring on hills ridges including trap rock in shallow soils associated with quercus and or carya. Lemma awns absent or up to 3 mm long and leaf blades often somewhat involute usually ascending vs. Halophilus virginia wildrye elymus virginicus var.

The inflorescences of the latter grass also. Elymus virginicus is a clump forming cool season perennial grass. It is commonly found in moist wooded habitats such as floodplain forest river and stream banks less often in open prairies meadows or roadsides. Virginia wildrye is a native cool season perennial bunch grass.