Poaceae
Elymus

Elymus lanceolatus (Scribn. & J.G.Sm.) Gould

First published in Madroño 10: 94 (1949)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Siberia, Alaska to W. & Central U.S.A. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; wiry. Culms 40-80 cm long. Culm-internodes thin-walled. Leaf-sheaths pubescent, or pilose. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 1-1.5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades involute; 2-4 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially, or on both sides.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 4-20 cm long. Rhachis flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip flat. Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 10-15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 10-15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes collateral; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 7-10 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7-9 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate to oblong; 8-10 mm long; coriaceous; 5-7 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Asia-temperate: Siberia. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, and southwest USA.
Reference
Triticeae. Fl Pac NW 1994.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0