Leymus salina

Leymus salina is a species of grass known as Salina wildrye, Salina Pass wild rye,^[1] and saline wildrye.^[2] It is native to the western United States^[3] and is named for its type locality: Salina Pass, Utah.^[4]

Leymus salina
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Pooideae
Genus:	Leymus
Species:	L. salina
Binomial name
Leymus salina (M.E.Jones) Á.Löve
Synonyms
Elymus salinus M.E.Jones Leymus salinus orth. var.

Subspecies

There are three subspecies, including:^[2]

• Leymus salina subsp. salina
• Leymus salina subsp. mojavensis – Mojave wildrye
• Leymus salina subsp. salmonis – salmon wildrye

Description

Salina pass wild rye is a perennial grass forming dense clumps of stems up to 1.4 meters in height. It sometimes has rhizomes. The leaves are mostly located around the bases of the stems. The inflorescence is a spike with spikelets mostly solitary or sometimes paired. Each spikelet contains up to 6 flowers.^[3]

Habitat

This plant grows in a number of habitat types in the western United States. It is sometimes a dominant species in pinyon-juniper woodlands and Gambel oak woodlands. In Colorado it is often codominant with Wyoming big sagebrush, shadscale, and Gardner's saltbush.^[3]