Plant Image
Plant
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin State Herbarium. Usage Rights: Attribution-Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC)


Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants

Elymus virginicus - Virginia wildrye

Plant Form: Grass

Family: Poaceae


   
 
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  Grass Description -   Glossary of Grass Terminology


Origin: Native    Season: Warm
Habitat Description: Moist woods, meadows, and prairies.
Plant Communities:Riparian
Elevation: 3100 - 3200 feet

Similar Species: Elymus glaucus, Elymus canadensis
General Description

Desc: Tufted; seedhead remains straight at maturity; short, membranous, rigid ligule; no hair on stems or leaves; color variable, green waxy, blue-green or silver.
Identification Notes: 1 to 4 feet tall; leaves flat, 2 to 4 inches wide; spikes rigidly erect, 2 to 5 inches; lemmas with conspicuous straight awns, base of glumes round, hardened at base. Awns of E. canadensis are divergent, glumes of E. glaucus not hardened.
Grass Type: Perennial bunchgrass  Rhizomes: N  Stolons: N
Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N  Bushy (highly branched): Y
Height with Seedheads: Greater than 36 inches
Seedhead Structure: Unbranched  Seedhead Droops: N
Flowering Period: Jun - Aug
Flower Characteristics

Number of Flowers per Spikelet: Multi-flowered  Spikelets One-sided: N
Awns: 1/4 inch to 1 inch   Three Awns: N  Awns Bent: N
Flower and Seedhead Notes: The seedhead is densely covered on all sides with ascending sessile spikelets. The seedhead is partially enclosed or barely exerted from the uppermost leaf. Spikelets 1/2 inch, appressed to slightly divergent, commonly 3 to 4 florets.
Vegetative Charcteristics

Blade Hairy: N    Blade with White Margins: N    Blade Cross section: Flat
Blade Notes: 6 to 10 rough blades, 2 to 4 inches wide and 12 inches long occur along the entire length of each seedhead stem. Blades are medium green, dark green, or bluish-green, hairless on both their upper and lower sides, and rather floppy.
Sheath Hairy: N    Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar: N    Ligules: Membranous
Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area: N

Forage Value: Not available.


  Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590
Version 8.0  
http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailGrass.php  
Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022
Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson  
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