Elymus pungens

Elymus pungens is a perennial bunchgrass in the Poaceae family, native to temperate Eurasia and naturalized in parts of North America. Plants form loose tufts arising from short rhizomes, with culms 30–90 cm tall, erect or slightly geniculate at the base, and glabrous nodes. Leaf blades are flat to involute, 2–6 mm wide, scabrous on the upper surface, with short membranous ligules. The inflorescence is a stiff, narrow spike 5–15 cm long, with solitary or paired spikelets appressed to the rachis; each spikelet contains 3–6 florets subtended by lanceolate, awn-tipped glumes. Lemmas are scabrous to pubescent and bear short straight awns 1–5 mm long. Anthers are 3–5 mm long and yellow. Flowering occurs in early to midsummer, with self-pollination predominant. The species occupies dry meadows, steppes, and disturbed soils, and contributes to forage and erosion control on rangeland.