Introductory
SPECIES: Elymus macrourus | Wheatgrass 



ABBREVIATION : 
ELYMAC

SYNONYMS : 
   Agropyron macrourum (Turcz.) Drobov.
   A. sericuem Hitchc.
   A. nomokonovii Pop.
   Roegneria macroura (Turcz.) Nevskii
   Triticum macroura Turcz.


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   ELMA7


COMMON NAMES : 
   wheatgrass
   tufted wheatgrass


TAXONOMY : 
The accepted scientific name of this wheatgrass is Elymus macrourus
(Turcz.) Tsvel. [1].  There is some disagreement over this placement,
however, as is apparent from the number of synonyms.  There are no
subspecies, varieties, or forms.

Elymus macrourus forms hybrids with Siberian wildrye (E. sibiricus)
where they occur together.  The sterile hybrid, xAgroelymus palmerensis
Lepage, has become increasingly abundant and is common along road
systems of south-central Alaska [8].  Elymus macrourus also forms
hybrids with foxtail barley (Critesion jubatum); the resulting sterile
hybrid is named Elytesion pilosilemma (Mitchell & Hodgson) Barkw. & D.
R. Dewey [1,9].  Hybrids with meadow barley (Critesion brachyantherum),
named xAgrohordeum jordalii Melderis, also occur [6].


LIFE FORM : 
Graminoid

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
Janet Sullivan, April 1993


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Sullivan, Janet. 1993. Elymus macrourus. In: Remainder of Citation

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Elymus macrourus | Wheatgrass 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
Elymus macrourus occurs in northwestern North America from subarctic
Alaska east to the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories.  It
also occurs in eastern Siberia [6,10].


ECOSYSTEMS : 
   FRES11  Spruce - fir
   FRES23  Fir - spruce
   FRES28  Western hardwoods


STATES : 
     AK  NT  YT


ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS : 
     YUCH


BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
NO-ENTRY


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY


SAF COVER TYPES : 
   222  Black cottonwood - willow
   235  Cottonwood - willow


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
Elymus macrourus is not used in habitat type classifications.  It occurs
in riparian stands with willows (Salix alaxensis, S. pseudocordata),
prickly rose (Rosa acicularis), western river alder (Alnus incana),
highbush cranberry (Viburnum edule), raspberry (Rubus idaeus), northern
bedstraw (Galium boreale), alpine bluegrass (Poa alpina), common
fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), tilesius wormwood (Artemisia
tilesii), and rough bentgrass (Agrostis scabra) [7].

VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Elymus macrourus | Wheatgrass 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
This wheatgrass is presumably grazed by both livestock and wildlife.
Specific data are lacking in the literature.


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Averaged first and second cut nutritional values for E. macrourus are as
follows [17]:

                                    percent of dry weight
crude protein (N x 6.25)             16.8
phosphorus                            0.215
potassium                             1.78
calcium                               0.39
in vitro dry matter digestibility    65.6


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Elymus macrourus can be used for revegetation of disturbed sites,
especially where it is desirable to establish native plants.  It is
valuable on sites requiring erosion control.  Its ablilty to establish
rapidly makes E. macrourus useful as a nurse grass for other, more
slowly growing native species [3].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
In field trials to study the forage potential of native grasses, E.
macrourus was found to have high initial yields but experienced stand
deterioration and serious weed infestation by the third year [17].

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Elymus macrourus | Wheatgrass 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Elymus macrourus is a native, perennial grass.  It is loosely tufted and
sometimes forms short rhizomes.  It grows from 15 to 30 inches (40-80
cm) tall.  The culms are erect and the spike is slender and narrow
[6,10].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Hemicryptophyte
   Geophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Elymus macrourus reproduces by seed, with seed set rates from 83 to 100
percent [8,9].  It is self-fertile [9].

Vegetative reproduction occurs through rhizomes [6].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Elymus macrourus occurs on alluvial flats, riverbanks, sand and gravel
bars, and less commonly on hillsides with good drainage and abundant
moisture.  It also occurs on coastal precipices, swales in willow
woodlands, roadsides, and gravel banks [8,10,13,15].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Obligate Initial Community Species

Elymus macrourus appears to occur in early seral sites; it is
characteristic of disturbed sites [10,13].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
NO-ENTRY

FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Elymus macrourus | Wheatgrass 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Elymus macrourus occurs on sites that are rarely disturbed by fire.  As
a perennial grass, it probably has the capacity to sprout after top-kill
by fire.


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tussock graminoid
   Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
   Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)

FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Elymus macrourus | Wheatgrass 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Elymus macrourus is probably top-killed by fire and may be killed by
severe fires.  Specific data on the severity of fire needed to kill
wheatgrass are lacking.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
As a colonizer of disturbed sites, E. macrourus probably increases after
fire disturbances.  Specific data are lacking.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

REFERENCES
SPECIES: Elymus macrourus | Wheatgrass 



REFERENCES : 

 .  Barkworth, Mary E.; Dewey, Douglas R. 1985. Genomically based genera in
       the perennial Triticeae of North America: identification and membership.
       American Journal of Botany. 72(5): 767-776.  [393]

 .  Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
       reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
       associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
       U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. 
       [434]

 .  Densmore, Roseann V.; Dalle-Molle, Lois; Holmes, Katherine E. 1990.
       Restoration of alpine and subalpine plant communities in Denali National
       Park and Preserve, Alaska, U.S.A. In: Hughes, H. Glenn; Bonnicksen,
       Thomas M., eds. Restoration `89: the new management challange:
       Proceedings, 1st annual meeting of the Society for Ecological
       Restoration; 1989 January 16-20; Oakland, CA. Madison, WI: The
       University of Wisconsin Arboretum, Society for Ecological Restoration:
       509-519.  [14720]

 .  Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
       Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p.  [905]

 .  Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
       1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
       ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p.  [998]

 .  Hulten, Eric. 1968. Flora of Alaska and neighboring territories.
       Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 1008 p.  [13403]

 .  LeResche, R. E.; Bishop, R. H.; Coady, J. W. 1974. Distribution and
       habitats of moose in Alaska. Le Naturaliste Canadien. 101: 143-178. 
       [15190]

 .  Mitchell, W. W.; Hodgson, H. J. 1965. The status of hybridization
       between Agropyron sericeum and Elymus sibiricus in Alaska. Canadian
       Journal of Botany. 43: 855-859.  [20871]

 .  Murry, Lynn E.; Tai, William. 1980. Genome relations of Agropyron
       sericeum, Hordeum jubatum and their hybrids. American Journal of Botany.
       67: 1374-1379.  [20870]

.  Porsild, A. Erling; Cody, William J. 1980. Vascular Plants of
       Continental Northwest Territories, Canada. Ottawa: National Museums of
       Canada, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ca Canada. [Pages
       unknown].  [20868]

.  Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
       geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p.  [2843]

.  Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern
       Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire
       Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p.  [20090]

.  Tsvelev, N. N. 1983. Grasses of the Soviet Union. New Delhi: Oxonian
       Press Pvt. Ltd. [Pages unknown].  [20869]

.  U.S. Department of the Interior, National Biological Survey. [n.d.]. NP
       Flora [Data base]. Davis, CA: U.S. Department of the Interior, National
       Biological Survey.  [23119]

.  Wiggins, Ira, L.; Thomas, John Hunter. 1962. A flora of the Alaskan
       Arctic Slope. Arctic Institute of North America, Sp. Pub. #4. Toronto:
       University of Toronto Press. [Pages unknown].  [20867]

.  Viereck, Leslie A. 1970. Forest succession and soil development adjacent
       to the Chena River in interior Alaska. Arctic and Alpine Research. 2(1):
       1-26.  [12466]

.  Mitchell, W. W. 1982. Forage yield and quality of indigenous and
       introduced grasses at Palmer, Alaska. Agronomy Journal. 74: 899-905. 
       [16172]

Related categories for Species: Elymus macrourus | Wheatgrass