Elymus ×vancouverensis
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Elymus ×vancouverensis is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by clear habitat specialization on sandy beaches with distinctive ribbed leaves.
Vancouver wild rye is a California native perennial found in northern coastal and northern central coastal bioregions on sandy beaches at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering in July, this plant produces pale purple to glaucous grass spikelets with lanceolate glumes 8 to 28 millimeters long. Growing with rhizomatous stems 65 to 130 centimeters tall that are sparsely to densely hairy below the inflorescence, it spreads through underground stems. Its grass blades are less than 9 millimeters wide, prominently ribbed, with tiny auricles up to 1 millimeter long and a short ligule 0.4 to 1.2 millimeters in length. The plant's inflorescence spans 7 to 32 centimeters, with spikelets arranged 1 to 2 per node.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 12 sympatric species; clear habitat specialization on sandy beaches with distinctive ribbed leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy beaches
Elevation: < 100 m
Outside California: to British Columbia
Bloom period
Elymus ×vancouverensis blooms 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 ×vancouverensis native to California?
Yes. Elymus ×vancouverensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Elymus ×vancouverensis bloom?
Elymus ×vancouverensis blooms Jul.
What plant family does Elymus ×vancouverensis belong to?
Elymus ×vancouverensis is in the Poaceae family, genus Elymus.
What habitat does Elymus ×vancouverensis grow in?
Elymus ×vancouverensis grows in Sandy beaches.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Elymus californicus — California bottle-brush grass
- Elymus caput-medusae — Medusa head
- Elymus cinereus — Great basin wild-rye
- Elymus condensatus — Giant wild-rye
- Elymus elymoides — Squirreltail
- Elymus elymoides var. brevifolius — Squirrel tail grass
- Enneapogon desvauxii — Nine-awned pappus grass
- Enneapogon sp. — Pappus grass
- Eragrostis barrelieri — Mediterranean love grass
- Eragrostis cilianensis — Stink grass
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.