Elymus virginicus L.
Virginia Wildrye

Habit: 		Tufted perennial.
Culms: 		60-120 cm. tall, tufted, simple, rigid, erect, green or glaucous.
Blades: 	Flat, 10-30 cm. long, 4-15 mm. wide, auricled, scabrous especially towards the tip.
Sheaths: 	Mostly shorter than internodes, the lower overlapping, the uppermost often inflated
		and enclosing the base of the spike, glabrous or sometimes the lower sparsely pubescent.
Ligule: 	Rigid, short membrane, truncate.
Inflorescence: 	Closely flowered cylindric terminal spikes 5-15 cm. long, about 12 mm. thick
		usually erect, often included at the base in the upper sheath.
Spikelets: 	Usually 2 at each node, 3-5-flowered, sessile at the alternate notches of the
		continuous rachis; rachilla articulated above the glumes and between the florets.
Glumes: 	2, equal, about 12 mm. long, linear-lanceolate, strongly nerved about, firm,
		indurate, yellowish, placed edge to edge in front or toward the sides of the florets,
		nerveless and bowed out at the base leaving a rounded sinus, broadened above, scabrous,
		the apex somewhat curved, tapering into a straight awn about as long as the body or shorter.
Lemmas: 	Lower 6-8 mm. long, glabrous and nerveless below, scabrous and nerved above,
		oblong or lanceolate, rounded on the back, tapering into a straight scabrous awn
		4-18 (usually about 10) mm. long.
Palea: 		Elliptic, ciliate, a little shorter than its lemma.
Fruit: 		Grain hairy at the summit, adherent to the lemma and palea.
Habitat: 	Moist soil, low woods and along streams.  June-August.
Range: 		Newfoundland to Alberta, south to Florida and Arizona.
Kansas Range:	Throughout, except perhaps the southwest.
Synonyms:	Elymus virginicus L. var. virginicus
		Elymus australis Scribn. & Ball
		Elymus glabriflorus (Vasey) Scribn. & Ball
		Elymus glabriflorus (Vasey) Scribn. & Ball var. australis (Scribn. & Ball) J.J. Campbell
		Elymus hirsutiglumis Scribn.
		Elymus jejunus (Ramaley) Rydb.
		Elymus striatus Willd.
		Elymus virginicus L. var. australis (Scribn. & Ball) A.S. Hitchc.
		Elymus virginicus L. var. glabriflorus (Vasey) Bush
		Elymus virginicus L. var. hirsutiglumis (Scribn.) A.S. Hitchc.
		Elymus virginicus L. var. intermedius (Vasey) Bush
		Elymus virginicus L. var. jejunus (Ramaley) Bush