Species

Grass & Grass-Like Species

Canada Wild Rye – Elymus canadensis L.

Family Graminaceae | Tribe Triticeae

Photo Gallery

Whole Plant: At Maturity

Whole Plant: Vegetative Stage

Flowers/Inflorescences

Leaves & Collars

Origin & Status

  • Native or non-native to Western Canada? Native.
  • If non-native, where is it considered a native species? N/A
  • Is this plant generally considered a nuisance weed or not? No.
  • Common or rare? Common.

Dichotomy-like Description

Growth Habit

  • Erect or prostrate? Erect.
  • What is its life cycle? Perennial.

Overall Height

  • _____cm (____ inches)

Stem Characteristics

  • Bunched or creeping-rooted?
  • Pithy or hollow?
  • Square, round, or triangular?

Rooting Type

  • Rhizomes present?
  • If rhizomes present, are they short or long?
  • Shallow or deep-rooted?

Leaf & Collar Characteristics

Leaf width:

  • Wide or narrow?
  • Rolled, flattened, indented?
  • Lax or stiff?
  • What width?

Leaf tip:

  • Boat-shaped or sharply pointed?

Other leaf characteristics:

  • Hairy or glabrous?
  • Margins smooth or roughened?
  • Any particular colouration to note?
  • Rolled or folded at emergence?

Sheath shape/structure?

  • What type of venation?
  • What colour characteristics?
  • With hairs or hairless?

Ligule present?

  • If yes, what is its shape & structure?
  • If yes, how long is it?

Collar shape/structure?

  • What structure[s] describes its size?
  • What colouration?
  • Hairs or hairless?

Auricles present?

  • If yes, are they distinct or rudimentary?
  • If distinct, are there clasping claws or similar?
  • If rudimentary, are there clasping claws or rounded extensions?
  • If yes, are claws equal or not?
  • If yes, what is their size?

Other characteristics to note?

Inflorescence Type

Raceme, panicle, or spike?

  • Length of inflorescence?

If spike:

  • Number of spikelets or flowers per node or joint
  • Imbricate (folded, overlapping, shingled) or not?
  • Long or short rachilla?
  • Attached edgewise, flatwise, or otherwise to the stem (esp. for those in Tribe Triticeae)?

(Sedges/Rushes ONLY): Spikes singly on the stem, or in multiples?

  • Number of spikes per stem, both male and female flowers.
  • Location of male and female parts, or if on separate plants.

If panicle:

  • Number of bracts per node or joint
  • Long or short?
  • Open or closed?
  • Define if difference between flowering and seed set, like in Koelaria macrantha.

Inflorescence Colour

Is there any notable colouration to note on the inflorescence, spikelets and/or florets?

Spikelet & Floret Sizes

  • Length of spikelets:
  • Length of glumes:
  • Length of lemmas/paleas:
  • Length of florets:
  • Length of awns (if present):

Inflorescence Composition

How many florets are there per spikelet, including sterile?

  • Glumes unequal or equal?
  • Glumes shorter, equal to, or longer than either lemmas, palea, or florets?
  • Lance-shaped, awl-shaped, egg-shaped, or other notable shape?
  • Pointed, awned, or dull?
  • Straight or twisted awn?
  • Where is the awn attached from?

Hairs on any parts of the flower?

  • If so, which structures?

(Sedges & Rushes):

Number of perigyna per spike:

  • Tight or loosely spreading?
  • Beaked or not?
  • Stigma or bristles present or absent?
  • Number of stigma or bristles?
  • Bracted distinctly or indistinctly?
  • Achenes two-sided or more?

Seeds

  • What is the size?
  • What is the shape?
  • Hairless or has hairs?
  • Are there any other features to note?

Where to Find This Species

What ecoregions and habitats does this plant most commonly occur in?

What plant community is this plant found in, or occupies as the dominant species?

Which states/provinces can this species be found in?

When to Find Blooms/Inflorescences

What time of year is this plant most likely to bloom? What seasons to expect, and what months of the year?

Is this Species Safe or Hazardous to Animals?

Is this species known for posing a hazard for humans and animals, particularly with awns?

Synonyms & Other Names

Other scientific names this plant is or has historically been known by:

Other common names this plant has been known by (English only):

What Other Species Can this be Confused With?

What other species may you confuse this with?

What are any details to help distinguish this species from others?

Interesting Notes

Is there any value of this plant for grazing herbivores, both domesticated and wild?

What pollinators love to visit, if applicable?

Is it commonly used for reclamation purposes?

Any stories about name origins or name meanings to share?

Links for More Information

  • iNaturalist
  • Saskatchewan Wildflowers
  • Texas A&M Lady Bird Johnson
  • Minnesota Wildflowers
  • Montana Wildflowers
  • USDA Plants Profile (or similar)
  • E-flora BC

Origin & Status

Common. Native to North America.

Life Cylce

Perennial.

Synonyms or Other Names

Synonyms:

  • Clinelymus canadensis
  • Elymus brachystachys
  • Elymus canadensis ssp. brachystachys
  • Elymus canadensis ssp. hirsutus
  • Elymus canadensis ssp. glaucifolius
  • Elymus canadensis ssp. robustus
  • Elymus canadensis ssp. villosus
  • Elymus canadensis ssp. wiegandii
  • Elymus crescendus
  • Elymus glaucifolius
  • Elymus philadelphicus
  • Elymus philadelphicus ssp. hirsutus
  • Elymus robustus
  • Elymus wiegandii
  • Hordeum canadense
  • Hordeum patulum
  • Roegneria canadensis
  • Sitanion brodei
  • Terrellia canadensis

Other common names:

  • Canadian Wildrye
  • Prairie Wildrye
  • Nodding Wildrye
  • Great Plains Wildrye.

Key Characteristics to Note

E. canadensis is a tufted (bunch-grass) cool-season perennial that grows between 1 to 1.5 m tall; it rarely bears rhizomes, and if any, they are quite short (up to 4 cm long).

Leaves are flat or folded, 7 to 15 mm wide and 5 to 40 cm long. They are stiff, ascending to fine points, with a roughened surface above and prominent midveins below. Leaf margins are finely toothed. Sheaths are round, glabrous, and rarely pubescent. Ligules are truncate, lacerate-jagged, rarely hair-fringed, and membranous (0.5 to 2 mm long). Auricles are well-developed, finger-like, and clasping, 1 to 4 mm long.

Inflorescence is a spike 8 to 25 cm long, erect to arching, somewhat linear in shape, thick, bristly, and occasionally interrupted at the base. Spikelets are clustered 2 to 4 per node, overlapping and slightly spreading, with rachises not readily disarticulating or spreading at flowering. Spikelets are 1.2 to 1.5 cm long with 2 to 5 florets per spikelet; lemmas are broad at the base, 8 to 12 mm long, scabrous or hirsute (with stiff hairs). Glumes are subequal (1 to 2.4 cm long, 0.8 to 1.5 mm wide), awl-shaped, with 3 to 7 glabrous, scabrous, or ciliate veins. Lemmas are awned (1.5 to 5 cm long), outward-curved or flexuous, and become even more so (more widely spreading) at maturity. Glumes taper into awns (1 to 3 cm long); all awns on this species appear arching to somewhat straight.

When & Where to Find This Plant

E. canadensis is commonly found in the prairie and parkland ecoregions. It prefers sandy soils in grasslands and dunes, such as those on shores or stream banks. This plant can also be found in disturbed areas, open woodlands, fence lines, and ditches, almost always in open areas or areas with shade for part of the day. It is adapted to a wide range of dry and moist soils, so you will likely find it near wetlands and possibly in the drier uplands.

Typically blooms from May to July, depending on the region. This plant will bloom earlier in the southern areas than in the northern regions.

Interesting Facts

Canada Wild Rye is also found in the south and eastern United States, from East Texas to the east coast north of Florida and from New York State/Michigan/Iowa southward. It attracts a lovely little butterfly called the Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon), which is found mainly in the southern states, and is normally not found in Canada.

Rangeland Fodder for Livestock & Wildlife

The forage value of this species is good to fair for most livestock and wildlife; it is better in quality while it is green and growing during spring or early summer, with forage quality quickly declining as it matures. While it is deemed an “increaser” in rangelands, it can decline under heavy utilization and borderline overgrazing.

Birds and small mammals will readily eat the seeds. Small birds use the long awns, glumes and lemmas as nesting material.

Reclamation Use & Suitability

It is good use for reclamation as seeds are commercially available for use in native grass seed mixtures. It propagates fairly quickly and is suitable for soils with good moisture and areas with part-shade.

Similar Species

It can be confused with most other wild rye species, such as Hairy Wild Rye (Leymus innovatus), Russian Wild Rye (Elymus junceus), Smooth Wild Rye (Elymus glaucus), and others. The key to preventing confusion between these species is the presence of long awns characteristic of E. canadensis. Most wild rye species lack this characteristic, or their awns are half the length.

It’s worth noting, however, that this species will cross-polinate with other Elymus species creating new crossbreds. It is largely self-pollinated, but cross-pollination will happen.

Sources for More Information

iNaturalist – Canada Wildrye – https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/129000-Elymus-canadensis

Lady Bird Johnson – Elymus canadensis – https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=elca4

US Forest Service – Elymus canadensis – https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/graminoid/elycan/all.html