HOW TO KNOW THE GRASSES 



16a. Glumes very narrow, widest at the base and tapering upward, less 

 than 1 mm. broad 17 



16b. Glumes flattened, wider near the middle than at the base, the 

 middle portions with several nerves 18 



17a. Lemmas awnless or with awns shorter than the body of the lem- 

 ma; plants of the Great Plains and western mountains and deserts. 

 Fig. 174. 



GIANT WILD RYE Elymus cinereus Scribn. & Merr. 



Perennial; tufted; rarely with short, 

 thick rhizomes; culms about 1 m. tall; 

 leaves thick, stiff, flat or rolled; ligules 

 3 — 6 mm. long; spikes 15 — 30 cm. long. 

 This is an important forage grass of 

 dry plains, sand hills, and ditches in 

 the western states. May — August. 



Elymus condensatus Presl is a very 

 tall species, up to 3 m. high, with large, 

 often compound spikes, up to 50 cm. 

 long and 3 cm. thick. It grows along 

 the Pacific sea beaches in California. 



Figure 174 



17b. Lemmas with owns at least as long as the body; plants of wood- 

 lands; eastern states and westward to Wyoming and Texas. Fig. 

 175. 



Elymus villosus Muhl. 



Perennial; tufted; culms slender, 60 — 100 cm. 

 tall; leaf blades thin and dark green, their up- 

 per surfaces velvety to the touch; spikes 5 — 12 

 cm. long; spikelets usually densely hairy; 

 glumes 12 — 20 mm. long; lemmas 7 — 9 mm. 

 long, with an awn 1 — 3 cm. long. Stream 

 banks, thickets, and moist woods. June — August. 



Figure 175 



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