Leymus cinereus
Leymus cinereus | |
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Species: | L. cinereus
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Binomial name | |
Leymus cinereus | |
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Elymus cinereus |
Leymus cinereus (syn. Elymus cinereus) is a species of wild rye known by the common names basin wild rye, Great Basin wild rye,[1] and Great Basin lyme grass.[2]
It is a common native grass of western North America, including western Canada and the United States from California to South Dakota and Minnesota. It grows in many types of habitat, including grassland and prairie, forests, scrub, chaparral, and sagebrush.
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,[3] Leymus salinus, and Elymus elymoides.[4]
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.[5]
Cultivars available for use on rangeland include 'Magnar' and 'Trailhead'. They are sometimes used for site reclamation.[4]
References
- ^ "Leymus cinereus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ Leymus cinereus. NatureServe. 2012.
- ^ Leymus cinereus. Grass Manual. Flora of North America.
- ^ a b Anderson, M. D. 2002. Leymus cinereus. In: Fire Effects Information System, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
- ^ Leymus cinereus. Native American Ethnobotany. University of Michigan, Dearborn.
External links
- Elymus cinereus. The Jepson Manual eFlora 2012.
- Leymus cinereus. USDA PLANTS.
- Leymus cinereus. CalPhotos.
- NatureServe secure species
- Leymus
- Bunchgrasses of North America
- Grasses of the United States
- Grasses of Canada
- Native grasses of California
- Native grasses of the Great Plains region
- Flora of the Canadian Prairies
- Flora of California
- Flora of the California desert regions
- Flora of the Great Basin
- Flora of Western Canada
- Flora of the Western United States
- Flora of the Northern United States
- Pooideae stubs