Elymus repens (L.) Gould
quackgrass (creeping wildrye)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
quackgrass (creeping wildrye)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial grass from extensive rhizomes; stems erect to decumbent, 50-100 cm tall/long, the nodes exposed, smooth.
Leaves:
Sheaths smooth or hairy; blades 6-10 mm wide, flat, the undersides smooth, the upper surfaces rough along the nerves, ear-shaped lobes at the leaf-bases 0.3-1 mm long; ligules 0.25-1.5 mm long, membranous.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a spike 5-15 cm long, 5-10 mm wide, erect, with 1 spikelet per node; spikelets 10-27 mm long, more than 2 times as long as the internodes, with 4 to 7 florets; glumes unequal, 7-10 mm long, with transparent edges along the upper 1/2, the tips pointed; lemmas 8-10.4 mm long, awnless or awned, the awns 0.2-3.8 (10) mm long; anthers 4-7 mm long.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Mid Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Spring to Summer
According to the USDA, this species is a known allelopath.
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Elymus repens
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
920 | 20 | 2140 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
10 | 0 | 80 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
181 | 12 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
4 | 0 | 8 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
271 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BG(35), BWBS(5), CWH(12), ESSF(18), ICH(10), IDF(116), MS(18), PP(30), SBPS(16), SBS(4) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry roadsides, fields, gardens and disturbed sites in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in S BC south of 51 degrees N, less frequent N to 55degree N; introduced from Eurasia.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Agropyron repens
Agropyron repens var. subulatum (Schreb.) Roemer & J.A. Schultes
Elytrigia repens
Elytrigia repens var. vaillantiana (Wulfen & Schreb.) Prokudin
Elytrigia vaillantiana (Wulfen & Schreb.) Beetle
Triticum repens L.
Triticum vaillantianum Wulfen & Schreb.