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GRASSES OF THE COLUMBIA BASIN OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Heather Stewart, Richard Hebda Major Groups of Grasses Table of Contents Glossary Secale Rye Secale is the classical name for rye, and the genus contains five Old World species. A small amount of Secale cereale is cultivated in North America and occasionally it grows along roadsides and in waste places, but never becomes established outside cultivation.   Secale cereale L. Rye Plant: Secale cereale is an introduced species that grows to 60-150 cm tall. It is a tufted annual with a dense, bushy, terminal spike. Leaves and Stem: The sheaths are open and have prominent auricles. The ragged membranelike ligules are 1 mm long. The flat leaf blades are 3-10 mm wide with a smooth to rough surface. Flowerhead and Flowers: The flowerhead consists of a bushy terminal spike that is 8-15 cm long, often nodding slightly. Two flowers are contained in each spikelet. The equal glumes are stiff, slender and about ½ as long as the lemma. The lemmas are keeled and curved with stiff hairs along the keel as well as the exposed edges. The lemma awns are 4-7 mm long and give the spike a bushy look. Habitat: Rye was introduced from Eurasia as a cultivated cereal and occurs occasionally in disturbed sites and roadsides, but rarely persists in British Columbia. In the Columbia Basin there is a single record of occurrence at Yoho National Park along a railway embankment. Similar Species: Rye has a distinctive form and is often dried for commercial flower arrangements.

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