Leymus ambiguus

(Vasey & Scribn.) D.R. Dewey
Common names: Colorado wildrye
Synonyms: Elymus ambiguus
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 366.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Cindy Roché

Copyright: Utah State University

Plants loosely cespitose, occasionally rhizomatous. Culms 60-110 cm tall, 1-1.5 mm thick, many together. Leaves exceeded by the spikes; sheaths glabrous or sparsely pubescent; auricles to 1.1 mm; ligules 0.2-1.2 mm, truncate; blades 2.5-6 mm wide, flat, adaxial surfaces scabridulous, glabrous, veins (9) 11-17, unequal, not crowded. Spikes 8-17 cm long, 5-10 mm wide, erect, with 2 spikelets at most nodes; internodes 4-11 mm, surfaces hairy distally, hairs 0.2-0.8 mm, edges ciliate. Spikelets 12-23 mm, with 2-7 florets. Glumes unequal, 0.5-2.5 mm wide, tapering from below midlength to the subulate apices, stiff, keeled, the central portion thicker than the margins, glabrous, scabrous, particularly distally, bases not overlapping, 0-1 (3) -veined, veins inconspicuous at midlength; lower glumes 2-9.5 mm; upper glumes 6-14 mm; calluses with hairs, hairs about 0.2 mm; lemmas 8-14.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely strigose, awned, awns 1.3-7 mm; anthers 3.5-7 mm, dehiscent. 2n = 28.

Distribution

Mont., Colo., N.Mex., Wyo.

Discussion

Leymus ambiguus grows on steep, often boulder-strewn hillsides at scattered locations in Colorado and New Mexico.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number."/2-33/4timesthelengthof" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Leymus ambiguus"
membranous +  and scarious +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0-3(7)-veined +
straight +
midlength +
hairy +, glabrous +  and pilose +
subulate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.11 cm1.1 mm <br />0.0011 m <br />) +
Mary E. Barkworth +
(Vasey & Scribn.) D.R. Dewey +
0-3(7)-veined +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
midlength +
glabrous +  and pilose +
tapering +, acuminate +, acute +  and keeled +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
0-1(3)-veined +
overlapping +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
not evident +
cross +, linear +  and narrowly lanceolate +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
spikelike +
hairy +  and glabrous +
Colorado wildrye +
not branching +
60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (110 cm1,100 mm <br />1.1 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (350 cm3,500 mm <br />3.5 m <br />) +
not woody +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
Mont. +, Colo. +, N.Mex. +  and Wyo. +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
2 +  and 7 +
laterally compressed +  and terete +
shorter than to longer than the adjacent florets +
subtending +
keeled +  and tapering +
unequal +
0.5mm +  and 2.5mm +
uncinate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br />) +
solid +  and hollow +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (?) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
0-3(7)-veined +
glabrous +  and pilose +
tapering +, acuminate +, acute +  and keeled +
distributed +
strigose +  and glabrous +
keeled +  and rounded +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.45 cm14.5 mm <br />0.0145 m <br />) +
stiffly membranous +  and coriaceous +
truncate +  and rounded +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
fleshy +  and membranous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.95 cm9.5 mm <br />0.0095 m <br />) +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
hairy +  and glabrous +
well-developed +
slightly shorter than to slightly longer than the lemmas +
slightly longer +
subequal +
appressed +  and ascending +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
spikelike +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (?) +  and 17 cm170 mm <br />0.17 m <br /> (?) +
pedicellate +  and sessile +
3 +  and 35 +
bisexual +  and sterile +
terete +  and compressed +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (2.3 cm23 mm <br />0.023 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
not papillate +
Elymus ambiguus +
Leymus ambiguus +
species +
awnlike +
membranous +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
0-3(7)-veined +
awned +  and ribbed +
not crowded +
midlength +
inconspicuous +
glabrous +  and pilose +
11 (?) +  and 17 (?) +
tapering +, acuminate +, acute +  and keeled +
unequal +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +