Species Detail Grasses

Plant - Utah State University, Intermountain Herbarium @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Public Domain (CC0 1.0)		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Leymus triticoides - beardless wildrye Synonyms: Elymus triticoides Other Common Names: creeping wildrye, alkali ryegrass, valley wildrye Plant Form: Grass Family: Poaceae


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Plant Utah State University, Intermountain Herbarium @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Public Domain (CC0 1.0)


	Grass Description - Glossary of Grass Terminology Origin: Native Season: Warm Habitat Description: Found in seasonally moist areas such as meadows. Tolerates neutral to strongly alkaline soils (pH 6.0 to 9.0), moderate shading, 7 to 60 inches of precipitation, and soils classified as strongly saline. Plant Communities:Riparian Elevation: 2500 - 8500 feet General Description Desc: Large grass; strongly rhizomatous growth form; stems emerge singly or in small clusters. Blades are mostly basally concentrated. Identification Notes: Grows up to 4 feet tall. Strongly rhizomatous, often in large colonies. Lemmas tips acute. Bottom surfaces of the blades usually with closely spaced, prominently ribbed, subequal veins. Grass Type: Perennial mat or sod-forming Rhizomes: Y Stolons: N Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N Bushy (highly branched): N Height with Seedheads: Greater than 36 inches Seedhead Structure: Unbranched Seedhead Droops: N Flowering Period: Jun - Jul Flower Characteristics Number of Flowers per Spikelet: Multi-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N Awns: Less than 1/4 inch Three Awns: N Awns Bent: N Flower and Seedhead Notes: The spike is narrow and 2 to 8 inches long, 2 spikelets per node at midspike, sometimes 1 or 3 at other nodes. Spikelets have 3 to 7 alternately stacked florets, each with a small awn less than 1/8 inch long. Vegetative Charcteristics Blade Hairy: Y Blade with White Margins: N Blade Cross section: Flat or involute Blade Notes: Blades are stiff, bluish green, and slightly waxy. They may be flat or rolled under along the edges, 4 to 12 inches long and up to 1/4 inch wide. Leaves stand away from the stems at an obvious angle. Upper leaf surface is rough and may be slightly hairy. Sheath Hairy: Y Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar: N Ligules: Membranous Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area: Y Forage Value: Beardless wildrye is moderately palatable to all livestock, especially in the early spring before it becomes coarse. It tolerates trampling and recovers well following grazing.


	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 Legal Disclaimer