BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Leymus salinus | Salina Wildrye 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Salina wildrye is a native, erect, coarse-stemmed, caespitose, drought
tolerant, cool-season, perennial bunchgrass that occasionally produces
short rhizomes [4,19].  Leaves are primarily basal with the leaf blades
strongly involute [2,44].  Densely tufted culms typically range from 16
to 56 inches (40-140 cm) in height.  The slender, erect spikes are
usually 1.6 to 5.6 inches (4-14 cm) long.  Barkworth and Atkins [4] have
designated three subspecies based upon herbage pubescence or lack
thereof and the number of spikelets per node; brief morphological
descriptions are presented below:

	Leymus salinus ssp. salinus - culms 15.6 to 40.8 inches (39-102 cm);
		inflorescence 1.6 to 4.8 inches (4-12 cm) long with only one
		spikelet at most nodes; basal leaf sheaths glabrous
	Leymus salinus ssp. salmonis - culms 24 to 56 inches (60-140 cm);
		basal leaf sheaths conspicuously pubescent; blades open to
		involute but not strongly so; infloresence usually with two
		spikelets at most nodes
	Leymus salinus ssp. mojavensis - new taxonomic entity; differs from
		ssp. salinus in its flat and spreading leaf blades and from
		ssp. salmonis in its glabrous leaf sheaths and abaxial leaf
		blades; culms 14 to 36 inches (35-90 cm); inflorescence with
		one spikelet at most nodes but the 2 to 3 central nodes with 2
		spikelets
		
Although Salina wildrye occurs as both tetraploid (2N = 28) and
octoploid (2N = 56) individuals, differing ploidy levels are uncommon
within the same population; studies suggest ploidy differences are not
reflected morphologically [4].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Hemicryptophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Regenerative processes in Salina wildrye have not been widely
documented.  This species apparently employs both sexual and vegetative
(tillering) modes of reproduction.  Plants are typically caespitose and
form erect, somewhat large, well-spaced bunches that are rather densely
packed [2,44]; occasionally, under more mesic conditions, Salina wildrye
will produce rhizomes [4].  Considerable controversy exists as to the
consistency with which Salina wildrye exhibits a rhizomatous growth
habit.  Cronquist and others [12] indicate that plants in the
Intermountain Region typically produce large bunches that give the
appearence of being non-rhizomatous, especially when growing on heavy
clay soils; however, under close inspection, plants bear short rhizomes.
Failure to recognize the rizomatous nature of this species has probably
made it one of the most frequently misidentified taxa in Utah;
apparently rhizomatous plants key to bullgrass (Leymus simplex) or
beardless wildrye (L. triticoides) in some floras [19].  Very little
autocological data in available concerning the seed habits of this
cool-season bunchgrass; seedbed and germination requirements are
virtually unstudied.  Limited information indicates that initial
seedling establishment is not highly successful due to the combined
dffects of low seed germination and poor seedling vigor; once
established, however, plants are able to persist on a wide variety of
sites and are quite drought tolerant [32].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Salina wildrye characteristically grows on dry, sandy, gravelly, or
rocky sites within sagebrush-grass, pinyon-juniper and salt desert
communities [49].  Chiefly found on mountain slopes and plateaus, this
bunchgrass rarely occurs in low lying alkaline sites or on flat terrain
[2,49].  A commonly occuring species throughout its somewhat restricted
geographical range, Salina wildrye is most frequently associated with
dry, rocky hillsides; slopes tend to be north-facing in the southern
portion of its distribution and south-facing as one moves northward [2].
Other typical sites include alkaline bluffs, washes, benches, canyon
sides and alluvial fans [3,44].  Plants are drought resistant,
moderately tolerant of alkaline environments, and although able to grow
in a variety of soils, are usually found on clayey or loamy soils [12].
In their treatment of this species, Atkins and others [2] suggested that
subspecies salmonis adapted to more xeric sites than subspecies salinus.
Apparently subspecies salmonis favors rocky, possibly volcanic,
hillsides and occassionally forms pure stands whereas subspecies salinus
has a relatively wide ecological amplitue and is seldom found in pure
stands.

On the Travaputs Plateau in Utah, Salina wildrye is often the dominant
species on dry, steep canyon walls and alluvial fans; to a lesser
extent, this bunchgrass also occurs on dry areas of canyon bottoms and
ridges where it is a common component beneath stands of sagebrush and
pinyon-juniper [19].  Although the majority of these sites are
characterized by clay soils dervied from marl limestone or shale, some
areas also exhibit soils derived from calcareous limestone.

Salina wildrye is less frequently associated with salt desert
communities.  In northwestern Colorado, Baker and Kennedy [3] describe
a shadscale/ Salina wildrye (Atriplex confertifolia/Leymus salinus)
association on shallow to steep, north slopes.  Soils were
characteristically shaley with a surface layer of sandstone fragments;
saline soils had an average electrical conductivity of 1.16 mmhos/cm and
a pH of 7.77.  These authors also report a saltsage/ salina wildrye
(Atriplex gardeneri/Leymus salinus) association occuring on flat to
very gently sloping benches, ridges and saddles. On these sites soils
were generally very clayey; electrical conductivity averaged .35
mmhos/cm with a pH of 8.01.

Elevational ranges are presented below [3,49,58]:

        from 5,200 to 8,500 feet (1,585-2,591 m) in CO
             4,986 to 9,400 feet (1,520-2,866 m) in UT
             8,200 to 8,200 feet (2,500-2,500 m) in WY


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Self-perpetuating stands of Salina wildrye are characteristic of late
successional or climax saline shrubland communities throughout the upper
Colorado River Basin [3].  Apparently this cool-season bunchgrass is
rarely found in pure stands [2].  Plants typically decrease in response
to grazing on shadescale (Atriplex confertifolia) and saltsage (A.
gardneri) dominated sites in northwestern Colorado [3].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
The phenological development of Salina wildrye has not been widely
documented.  Atkins and others [2] report tetraploid plants of
subspecies salinus flowering 3 weeks earlier than octoploid plants when
grown together under nursery conditions.  Anthesis data for several
western states are presented below [58].

	State            Earliest flowering      Latest flowering
                                date                   date
         CO                     May                    July
 	 WY                     May                    July

Related categories for Species: Leymus salinus | Salina Wildrye