Psathyrostachys juncea
Psathyrostachys
Russian-wild rye
wildrye
(20)30-80(120) cm, erect or decumbent at the base, mostly glabrous, pubescent below the spikes.
15-120 cm, erect or decumbent.
of the basal leaves closed, becoming fibrillose, of the upper cauline leaves open;
auricles sometimes present;
ligules 0.2-0.3 mm, membranous;
blades with prominently ribbed veins on the adaxial surfaces.
spikes, with 2-3 spikelets per node;
disarticulation in the rachises.
(3)6-11(16) cm long, 5-17 mm wide, erect, with (2)3 spikelets per node;
rachises hirsute on the margins, puberulent elsewhere;
internodes 3.5-6 mm.
7-10(12) mm excluding the awns, strongly overlapping, lateral spikelets slightly larger than the central spikelets.
appressed to ascending, with 1-2(3) florets, often with additional reduced florets distally.
(3.5)4.2-9.4 mm, subulate, scabrous or with 0.3-0.8 mm hairs;
lemmas 5.5-7.5 mm, lanceolate, glabrous or with 0.3-0.8 mm hairs, sharply acute or awned, awns 0.8-3.5 mm;
paleas 5.8-7.6 mm, scabrous, acute;
anthers 2.5-5.1 mm;
lodicules 1.3-1.5 mm.
equal to unequal, (3.5)4.2-48.5(65) mm including the awns, subulate, stiff, scabrous to pubescent, obscurely 1-veined, not united at the base;
lemmas 5.5-14.3 mm, narrowly elliptic, rounded, glabrous or pubescent, 5-7-veined, veins often prominent distally, apices sharply acute to awned, sometimes with a minute tooth on either side of the awn base, awns 0.8-34 mm, straight, ascending to slightly divergent, sometimes violet-tinged;
paleas equaling or slightly longer than the lemmas, membranous, scabrous or pilose on and sometimes also between the keels, bifid;
anthers 3, 2.5-6.8(7) mm, yellow or violet;
lodicules 2, acute, entire, ciliate.
4.3-5 mm.
pubescent distally, tightly enclosed by the lemmas and paleas at maturity, x = 7.
sheaths glabrous, grayish-brown, old sheaths more or less persistent;
auricles 0.2-1.5 mm;
blades (1)2.5-18 (30) cm long, (1)5-20 mm wide, flat or involute, abaxial surfaces smooth or scabridulous, often glaucous.
= 14, rarely 28.
Psathyrostachys juncea
Psathyrostachys
Psathyrostachys juncea is native to central Asia, primarily to the Russian and Mongolian steppes. It has become established at various locations, from Alaska to Arizona and New Mexico. It is drought-resistant and tolerant of saline soils. In its native range, it grows on stony slopes and roadsides, at elevations to 5500 m.
Psathyrostachys juncea closely resembles Leymus cinereus, differing primarily in having shorter ligules and a rachis that breaks up at maturity. Immature plants can be identified by the more uniform appearance of the spikelets. Psathyrostachys juncea also tends to have smaller spikelets with fewer florets than L. cinereus. Plants with pilose florets have been treated as a distinct taxon; such recognition is not merited.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Psathyrostachys has eight species, all of which are native to arid regions of central Asia, from eastern Turkey to eastern Siberia, Russia, and Xinjiang Province, China. One species, P. juncea, was introduced to North America as a potential forage species, and is now established in the Flora region.
Psathyrostachys is very similar to Leymus, particularly the cespitose species of Leymus. The major differences are that Psathyrostachys has disarticulating rachises and, usually, distinctly awned lemmas.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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