Rank Species | Genus Leymus Higher classification Leymus | |
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Similar Grasses, Leymus, Elymus elymoides, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Leymus triticoides | ||
Leymus cinereus (syn. Elymus cinereus) is a species of wild rye known by the common names basin wild rye, Great Basin wild rye, and Great Basin lyme grass.
Contents
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, Leymus salinus, and Elymus elymoides.
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.
Cultivars available for use on rangeland include 'Magnar' and 'Trailhead'. They are sometimes used for site reclamation.
