Elymus lanceolatus subsp. riparius
streambank wheatgrass
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
streambank wheatgrass
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
Map
Distribution of Elymus lanceolatus subsp. riparius
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Species Information
General:
Perennial grass from conspicuous rhizomes; stems 22-130 cm tall, erect, the nodes exposed, smooth.
Leaves:
Sheaths smooth to hairy; blades 2-6 mm wide, mostly towards the base of the stems, in-rolled, the undersides smooth, the upper surfaces rough; ear-shaped lobes 1-1.5 mm long, usually present on the lower leaves; ligules 0.1-0.4 mm long, the edges ragged or fringed with fine hairs.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a spike 3.5-22 cm long, 0.7-1 cm wide, erect; spikelets 8-25 mm long, usually with 1 spikelet per node; spikelets with 3 to 11 florets; glumes unequal, 5-9 mm long, 1/2 to 3/4 the length of the first lemmas, smooth or hairy, weakly keeled, pointed to shortly-awned; lemmas 7-11 mm long, smooth or more often hairy to densely hairy with hairs less than 1 mm long, sharp-pointed to awn-tipped; anthers 2.5-5 mm long.
Habitat and Range
Dry alkaline flats, sand dunes, gravelly sites and open forests in the steppe and montane zones; frequent in NE, SC and SE BC; E to AB and S to MI, IL, NE, NM, AZ and CA.Status Information
| Scientific Name | Origin Status | Provincial Status | BC List (Red Blue List) | COSEWIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elymus lanceolatus ssp. lanceolatus | Native | S5 | Yellow | Not Listed |
| Elymus lanceolatus ssp. psammophilus | Native | SU | Unknown | Not Listed |
| Elymus lanceolatus ssp. riparius | Native | SU | Unknown | Not Listed |
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer.