Leymus cinereus

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Leymus cinereus
Leymus cinereus (5048924411).jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus: Leymus
Species:
L. cinereus
Binomial name
Leymus cinereus
Synonyms
  • Elymus cinereusScribn. & Merr.
  • Elymus piperiBowden

Leymus cinereus is a species of wild rye known by the common names basin wild rye, [2] Great Basin wild rye, [3] and Great Basin lyme grass. [1]

Contents

It is a common native grass of western North America, including western Canada and the United States from California to Minnesota. It grows in many types of habitat, including grassland and prairie, forests, scrub, chaparral, and sagebrush. [2] [4]

Description

Leymus cinereus is a perennial bunchgrass forming large, tough clumps up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall and sometimes exceeding 1 metre (3.3 ft) in diameter. It has a large, fibrous root system and sometimes small rhizomes.

The inflorescence is an unbranched, cylindrical spike divided into up to 35 nodes with several flower spikelets per node.

This species may hybridize with Leymus triticoides , [5] Leymus salina , and Elymus elymoides . [6]

Uses

Native American groups had a variety of uses for the grass. The Okanagan and Colville used the roots medicinally to treat internal bleeding and gonorrhea and as a hair tonic. The Cheyenne burned the grass and mixed the ash with blood to make a black dye. Various groups used it for bedding, floor coverings, arrows, and basketry. [7]

Cultivars used in rangelands or site reclamation include 'Magnar' and 'Trailhead'. [6]

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<i>Elymus scribneri</i> Species of grass

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<i>Elymus sierrae</i> Species of grass

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<i>Elymus stebbinsii</i> Species of grass

Elymus stebbinsii is a species of wild rye known by the common name Parish wheatgrass. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the forests and chaparral of many of the coastal and inland mountain ranges. It is a perennial grass growing up to 1.2 meters tall. The inflorescence is a narrow, linear series of single-spikelet nodes up to 25 centimeters long. Each spikelet is up to 2 centimeters long with a short awn of just a few millimeters.

<i>Elymus trachycaulus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Leymus triticoides</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Achnatherum thurberianum</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Elymus lanceolatus</i> Species of grass

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<i>Brachiaria mutica</i> Species of plant

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References

  1. 1 2 Leymus cinereus. NatureServe. 2012.
  2. 1 2 Leymus cinereus. USDA PLANTS.
  3. "Leymus cinereus". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  4. Elymus cinereus. The Jepson Manual eFlora 2012.
  5. Leymus cinereus. Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Grass Manual. Flora of North America.
  6. 1 2 Anderson, M. D. 2002. Leymus cinereus. In: Fire Effects Information System, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
  7. Leymus cinereus. Native American Ethnobotany. University of Michigan, Dearborn.