Elymus smithii
Western wheat grass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Elymus smithii (Western wheat grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by glaucous appearance, basal leaves, and curved midvein on glumes.
Western wheat grass is a California native perennial found in northern Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and eastern Desert Mountains including New York Mountains in dry, alkaline soils at elevations of 1,220 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from June to August, this grass produces pale green to blue-green flower heads in dense, two-ranked spikes 4 to 17 centimeters long. Growing with erect, glaucous stems 20 to 100 centimeters tall that emerge from spreading rhizomes, it forms distinctive clumps in arid landscapes. Its mostly basal leaves are glaucous, flat or rolled when dry, with narrow blades 2 to 26 centimeters long and less than 4.5 millimeters wide, featuring small auricles at the base. The spikelets contain 4 to 11 florets, with lemmas 8 to 14 millimeters long that may have short awns.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 21 sympatric species; key features are glaucous appearance, basal leaves, and curved midvein on glumes
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Dry, alkaline soils, flats
Elevation: 1220-2200 m
Outside California: widespread in United States, to southern Canada
Bloom period
Elymus smithii blooms Jun-Aug.
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 smithii native to California?
Yes. Elymus smithii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Elymus smithii bloom?
Elymus smithii blooms Jun-Aug.
What plant family does Elymus smithii belong to?
Elymus smithii is in the Poaceae family, genus Elymus.
What habitat does Elymus smithii grow in?
Elymus smithii grows in Uncommon. Dry, alkaline soils, flats.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.