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