Slender Wheatgrass
Elymus trachycaulus (Link) Gould ex Shinners ssp. trachycaulus
Slender wheatgrass is a cool season, native perennial bunchgrass. Its roots are fibrous, sometimes with short rhizomes.
This grass has a wide geographic distribution throughout North America. Like bluebunch wheatgrass, two subspecies occur in British Columbia. The awned version, Elymus trachycaulus ssp. subsecundus (Link) A. Love & D. Love, occurs more frequently in southern British Columbia, while the awnless plant (Elymus trachycaulus (Link) Gould ex Shinners ssp. trachycaulus) is prevalent through most of the province.
Awnless slender wheatgrass was propagated for seed production by the 1920s on the prairies and was known as western ryegrass. It was an important forage species until the introduction of crested wheatgrass in the 1930s.
Stems typically range from 30 to120 cm (12 to 47 in.). It has leaves that are usually flat. Seed heads are slender and 8 to 20 cm (3 to 8 in.) long with overlapping spikelets. Spikelets are awned or awnless as noted in description above.