Poaceae
Elymus

Elymus repens (L.) Gould

First published in Madroño 9: 127 (1947)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Temp. Eurasia, N. Africa. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 30-120 cm long; 1-2 mm diam.; 3-5 -noded. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3-1 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades 6-30 cm long; 3-10 mm wide; stiff to firm. Leaf-blade surface ungrooved; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous to pilose. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; hardened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1; single; erect; bilateral; 5-20 cm long. Rhachis flattened; pubescent on surface (sparsely); scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 3-8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 10-20 mm long; 3-6 mm wide; falling entire. Spikelet callus glabrous; base truncate. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 3-8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 10-20 mm long; 3-6 mm wide; falling entire. Spikelet callus glabrous; base truncate. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 7-12 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 3-7 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute; muticous to mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7-12 mm long; 0.7-0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 3-7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acute; muticous to mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate to oblong; 8-13 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0-10 mm long overall; limb scabrous. Palea lanceolate; 0.8 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex truncate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; elliptic; membranous. Anthers 3; 4 mm long. Stigmas 2; protandrous; laterally exserted. Ovary pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; isodiametric; estipitate; without sulcus; 5 mm long; smooth; apex unappendaged. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.9 length of caryopsis. Endosperm farinose.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, and south. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: northwestern. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Brazil and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.
Reference
Triticeae. CEH.
[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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images