Wildrye

This species is used for forage.

2600-5000 m.

Culms solitary or tufted, 18–100 cm tall, 2–5-noded, smooth, glabrous, but densely puberulent below spike. Leaf sheath smooth, glabrous but margin ciliate when young; ligule 1–1.5 mm, membranous, apex truncate; leaf blade flat or rolled, 8–30 × 0.4–0.7 cm, abaxial surface scabrous or smooth, adaxial surface scabrous or pubescent, or both surfaces densely pubescent. Spike erect, grayish green, brown, or brownish, (6–)10–15(–24) × 0.1–1.7 cm; rachis pubescent; internodes 3–7(–20) mm. Spikelets (1 or)2 or 3(or 4) per node, 1–2.2 cm, with 2–7 (–10) florets; rachilla pubescent; internodes 1–1.5 mm. Glumes not covering base of first lemma, narrowly lanceolate to nearly subulate, shorter than spikelet, obscurely 1–3-veined, scabrous, apex mucronate to acuminate. Lemma lanceolate, 5-veined, pubescent, or glabrous above middle, margin membranous, apex acuminate or with awn 1–3 mm; first lemma 8–10(–14) mm; callus villous. Palea shorter than or equaling lemma, apex slightly bifid. Anthers 2–4 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Oct.

Tufted perennial with creeping rhizomes; culms 30-100 cm high, usually erect. Leaf-blades flat or slightly inrolled, 9-20 cm long, 2-6(-9) mm wide, glabrous or shortly puberulous on both sides, scabrid above, smooth beneath. Spike (6-) 8-11(-20) cm long, dense or the lower spikelets remote. Spikelets 2-3 (-4) at the nodes, greyish-green or glaucous, sometimes purple-tinged; glumes narrowly lanceolate, 1-nerved, awned, 10-15 mm long (including the awn), ciliate along the margins; lemma lanceolate or elliptic, 8-12 mm long, acute, hairy all over the back, produced at the tip into an awn 1-3 mm long.

Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang [India, Japan, Korea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan].

Distribution: Pakistan (N.W.F.P., Gilgit & Kashmir); Siberia, Central Asia and Northwest India.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: June-August.

Mountain slopes, stony and aleurite slopes, grassy places, lake banks, alkaline swales and pebbles; 2900–4200 m.