Elymus ×gouldii
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Elymus ×gouldii is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by habitat, thick stems, long inflorescence, and multiple spikelets per node.
Gould's wildrye is a native perennial grass found in the Central Valley, central western California, southern California coastal areas, San Bernardino Mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in open areas, often on saline soils at elevations below 1,615 meters. Flowering from May to July, this grass produces spikelets in dense clusters 12 to 40 centimeters long. Growing with sturdy stems 65 to 210 centimeters tall and 3.5 to 5 millimeters wide at the base, it appears generally smooth and upright. Its leaf blades are 6 to 15 millimeters wide, smooth and glabrous, with tiny ligules less than 2 millimeters long. The spikelets feature prominent glumes extending beyond the lower floret, with lemmas bearing short awns up to 2 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; key features are habitat, thick stems, long inflorescence, and multiple spikelets per node
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open areas, often saline soils
Elevation: < 1615 m
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Elymus ×gouldii blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Hordeum: Elymus has rounded glume backs; Hordeum has all glumes narrow and bristle-like.; vs Leymus: Elymus has 2-8 spikelets per node; Leymus has just 1-2 spikelets per node.; vs Taeniatherum: Elymus is perennial with robust growth; Taeniatherum is a weedy annual with very long awns.; vs Lolium: Elymus shows multiple spikelets per node; Lolium has single spikelets edgewise to the stem.; vs Thinopyrum: Elymus has prominent auricles; Thinopyrum typically lacks auricles or has very small ones.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elymus ×gouldii native to California?
Yes. Elymus ×gouldii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Elymus ×gouldii bloom?
Elymus ×gouldii blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Elymus ×gouldii belong to?
Elymus ×gouldii is in the Poaceae family, genus Elymus.
What habitat does Elymus ×gouldii grow in?
Elymus ×gouldii grows in Open areas, often saline soils.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.