Elymus virginicus
Elymus glabriflorus
common eastern wild-rye, Virginia wild rye, élyme de virginie
southeastern wild-rye
30-130 cm, erect to slightly decumbent;
nodes 4-9, concealed or exposed, usually glabrous, rarely pubescent.
60-140 cm, erect;
nodes 6-9, mostly concealed, glabrous.
evenly distributed;
sheaths usually glabrous, rarely hirsute, occasionally reddish or purplish;
auricles absent or to 1.8 mm, pale brown;
ligules shorter than 1 mm;
blades 2-14(18) mm wide, usually spreading or lax, sometimes becoming involute, basal blades similar to the upper blades, adaxial surfaces usually smooth, sometimes scabridulous, usually glabrous, occasionally pubescent.
evenly distributed;
sheaths glabrous or pubescent, often reddish brown;
auricles absent or to 2 mm, usually purplish brown;
ligules shorter than 1 mm;
blades 7-15 mm wide, lax or somewhat involute and ascending, usually dull green, sometimes with a glaucous bloom, adaxial surfaces glabrous or densely short-villous.
(3)4-16(22) cm long, 1-2.2(2.5) cm wide, erect, the bases often sheathed, with 2 spikelets per node, rarely with 3 at some nodes;
internodes 3-5 mm long, 0.25-0.5 thick at the thinnest sections, smooth and glabrous, or scabrous, or with hairs beneath the spikelets.
6-20 cm long, (2) 2.5-4(5.5) cm wide, erect, exserted, with (10)18-30(36) nodes, usually with 2(3) spikelets per node, occasionally with up to 5 at some nodes;
internodes 3-5 mm long, 0.3-0.8 mm thick and usually 4-angled at the thinnest sections, glabrous or pubescent beneath the spikelets.
10-15 mm, appressed to slightly divergent, with (2)3-4(6) florets, lowest florets functional;
disarticulation below the glumes and each floret, or the lowest floret falling with the glumes.
10-20 mm, strongly divergent, often reddish brown at maturity, with (2)3-5(6) florets, lowest florets functional;
disarticulation below the glumes and each floret, or the lowest floret often falling with the glumes.
subequal or equal, the basal 1-4 mm terete, indurate, without evident venation, bowed out, yellowish, glume bodies 7-15 mm long, (0.5)0.7-2.3 mm wide, linear-lanceolate, widening above the base, 3-5(8)-veined, usually smooth or scabridulous, margins firm, awns 3-10(15) mm, straight;
lemmas 6-10 mm, scabridulous, glabrous or villous-hirsute, awns (5)8-20(25) mm, straight;
paleas 5-9 mm, obtuse;
anthers 2-3.5(4) mm.
equal or subequal, entire, the basal 1-3 mm terete, indurate, moderately bowed out, without evident venation, glume bodies 7-18 mm long, (0.7)0.9-1.7 mm wide, linear-lanceolate, widening above the base, (3)4-5(7)-veined, smooth or scabrous, sometimes hirsute, margins firm, awns (10)15-25(30) mm, straight except the awns of the lowest spikelets frequently contorted;
lemmas 6-13 mm, smooth, scabrous, or hirsute, awns (15)25-35(40) mm, straight except the awns of the lowest spikelets occasionally contorted;
paleas 6-12 mm, obtuse;
anthers 2-4 mm.
usually mid-June to late July (mid-August).
usually mid-June to late July.
= 28.
= 28.
Elymus virginicus
Elymus glabriflorus
Elymus virginicus is widespread in temperate North America, growing as far west as British Columbia and Arizona. It is infrequent to rare in the Rocky Mountains, western Great Plains, and southeastern coastal plain. It is a complex species, divided here into four intergrading varieties.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Elymus glabriflorus grows on moist, damp, or dry soil in open woods, thickets, and tall grasslands, sometimes spreading into old fields and roadsides. It is found in most of the southeastern United States, extending north to Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, and along the Atlantic coast to Maine; it is rare north of Maryland. Anthesis is usually 2-4 weeks later than in E. virginicus (see next) and other sympatric taxa, even in Texas, where it occurs up to a month earlier than the dates given (Davies 1980).
Elymus glabriflorus varies greatly in its pubescence, but without clear taxonomic relevance. Plants that combine pubescent spikelets and, usually, pubescent leaves with somewhat shorter spikes (6-12 cm versus 9-20 cm) and lemmas (6-10 mm versus 7-13 mm) are typical on relatively dry, infertile soils, especially in hilly interior regions, and are less frequent on the southeastern coastal plain. They have been named E. glabriflorus var. australis (Scribn. & C.R. Ball) J.J.N. Campb. In contrast, glabrous to scabrous plants that are often more robust usually grow on relatively moist or damp soils of bottomlands and upland depressions.
Elymus glabriflorus is most closely related to E. macgregorii (see previous) and E. virginicus, forming occasional hybrids with both (Campbell 2000). It is sometimes confused with E. villosus (p. 302), from which it differs in having erect spikes, and glumes that are bowed out and disarticulate at maturity. It has also been confused with E. canadensis, especially E. canadensis var. robustus (p. 305), which may be derived from introgressants between the two species (Davies 1980). Hybrids with E. hystrix (p. 316) are also known, with apparent introgression at some range margins. Artificial crosses with other species failed in several cases (Church 1967a, 1967b).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Spikelets hispidulous to villous-hirsute, usually glaucous; anthesis usually in early July to mid-August | var. intermedius |
1. Spikelets usually glabrous or scabrous, glaucous or not; anthesis usually in mid-June to late July. | → 2 |
2. Spikes partly sheathed; glumes 1-2.3 mm wide, strongly indurate and bowed out in the basal 2-4 mm; plants not glaucous, becoming yellowish brown or occasionally somewhat purplish at maturity | var. virginicus |
2. Spikes exserted; glumes (0.5)0.7-1.5(1.8) mm wide, moderately indurate and bowed out in the basal 1-2 mm; plants usually glaucous, becoming yellowish or reddish brown at maturity. | → 3 |
3. Culms usually 70-100 cm tall, with 6-8 nodes; blades 3-15 mm wide, flat; spikes 4-20 cm long, not strongly glaucous; glumes indurate only in the basal 1 mm | var. jejunus |
3. Culms usually 30-80 cm tall, with 4-6 nodes; blades 2-9 mm wide, often becoming involute; spikes 3.5-11 cm long, often strongly glaucous; glumes usually indurate in the basal 1-2 mm | balophilus |
- Local Web sites:
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
KS Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
