About Elymus violaceus (Hornem.) J.Feilberg
Elymus violaceus (Hornem.) J.Feilberg is a species of wild rye that has many synonyms, including Elymus sierrae. It is a perennial grass. At maturity, its stems grow 30 to 50 centimeters long and lie decumbent along the ground. Its inflorescence is made up of a series of single-spikelet nodes that are a few centimeters long. Each spikelet has an outward-curved awn that can reach up to 2.5 centimeters long. This species has a very wide distribution. It is native to a range extending from eastern Siberia to the Russian Far East, and to most of North America. It has been introduced to much of Europe and temperate Asia.
