Elymus elymoides

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title: "Elymus elymoides" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["elymus-(plant)", "bunchgrasses-of-north-america", "grasses-of-the-united-states", "grasses-of-canada", "native-grasses-of-the-great-plains-region", "native-grasses-of-california", "native-grasses-of-nebraska", "native-grasses-of-oklahoma", "native-grasses-of-texas", "flora-of-western-canada", "flora-of-the-northwestern-united-states", "flora-of-the-southwestern-united-states", "north-american-desert-flora", "flora-of-the-great-basin", "flora-of-the-california-desert-regions", "flora-of-the-sonoran-deserts", "flora-of-arizona", "flora-of-colorado", "flora-of-nevada", "flora-of-new-mexico", "flora-of-utah", "flora-of-wyoming", "flora-of-the-cascade-range", "flora-of-the-klamath-mountains", "flora-of-the-sierra-nevada-(united-states)", "natural-history-of-the-california-chaparral-and-woodlands", "natural-history-of-the-mojave-desert", "natural-history-of-the-peninsular-ranges", "natural-history-of-the-transverse-ranges", "flora-without-expected-tnc-conservation-status"] description: "Species of flowering plant" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elymus_elymoides" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Species of flowering plant ::

|image = Elymus elymoides NPS-1.jpg |status = G5 |status_system = TNC |status_ref = |genus = Elymus |species = elymoides |authority = (Raf.) Swezey |synonyms = Sitanion hystrix

Elymus elymoides is a species of wild rye known by the common name squirreltail. This grass is native to central and western North America.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Elymus_elymoides_squirrel-tail_grass_close.jpg" caption="''Elymus elymoides'' early-season spike close"] ::

Description

Elymus elymoides is a perennial bunch grass growing to around 0.5 m in height. Its erect solid stems have flat or rolled leaf blades. The inflorescence is up to 15 cm long and somewhat stiff and erect, with spikelets 1 or 2 cm long not counting the awn, which may be 9 cm long and sticks straight out at maturity, making the inflorescence look like a bottlebrush, and aiding wind dispersal of the seeds. In contrast, the early season spike is compact and reddish.

Subspecies

Subspecies include:

• E. e. ssp. brevifolius - widespread
• E. e. ssp. californicus - occurs in the western half of the species range
• E. e. ssp. elymoides - widespread
• E. e. ssp. hordeoides - limited mostly to the Pacific Northwest

Distribution and habitat

The species is native to most of North America west of the Mississippi River and occurs in a number of ecosystems, from the alpine zone to desert sage scrub to valley grassland.

Ecology

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Elymus_elymoides_squirrel-tail_grass_clump_early-red.jpg" caption="Young ''E. elymoides'' clump"] ::

This grass is considered very good forage for sheep. It is best for grazing during the winter, when it is small and green. It becomes less palatable to livestock when its awns grow long and sharp at maturity. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Elymus_elymoides_squirrel-tail_grass_clump_late.jpg" caption="s2cid=14051865}}"] ::

Competition also occurs between E. elymoides and the invasive crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum). When introduced, crested wheatgrass negatively affects mature E. elymoides, despite being able to effectively compete at the seedling stage.

Uses

The genus Elymus is a part of the Poaceae, the grass family, which is the most economically important plant family to modern human civilization.

If crested wheatgrass is used in rehabilitation or restoration of a site, then co-planting a native bunch grass, such as E. elymoides, may be helpful in preventing a crested wheatgrass monoculture. Because E. elymoides populations decline when introduced to certain populations, squirreltail may benefit more from a monoculture setting. This characteristic is supported by another species, Elymus nutas. However, although it is successful as a monoculture food source, it results in a reduction of carbon transfer and decreased soil health when grown alone. To preserve a prosperous Elymus elymoides food source, one must take into consideration its effects on the soil when grown alone, and its responses to competitive forces if grown with other plants.

References

References

1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".
2. Cathy Rose, Stephen Ingram. (2015). "Rock Creek Wildflowers". California Native Plant Society Press.
3. (2015). "Natural selection favors root investment in native grasses during restoration of invaded fields". Journal of Arid Environments.
4. (2014). "Competition, legacy, and priority and the success of three invasive species". Biological Invasions.
5. (2015). "Abundances of Coplanted Native Bunchgrasses and Crested Wheatgrass after 13 Years". Rangeland Ecology & Management.
6. Zhao, L., Chen, D., Zhao, N., Li, Q., Cheng, Q., Luo, C., . . . Zhao, X. (2015). Responses of carbon transfer, partitioning, and residence time to land use in the plant–soil system of an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. ''Biol Fertil Soils Biology and Fertility of Soils'', 781-790. Retrieved November 1, 2015.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::