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Leymus racemosus

Common name:	Volga Wild Rye	Family:	Gramineae
Author:	(Lam.)Tzvelev.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:	Elymus racemosus (Lam.), Elymus giganteus (Vahl.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Europe to Asia.
Habitat:	Dry sandy soils[50].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Elymus arenarius var. giganteus[B,P] L. giganteus[B,G,P] L. racemosus subsp. racemosus[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Mammoth Lyme Grass [B], Mammoth Wildrye [P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	racemosus = with racemes
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Cyperales. Renamed to Poaceae -- Grass family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 1.2m. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Seed Stem.

Seed - used as a cereal substitute in some parts of Russia, especially in times of drought[183]. The seed is rather small and difficult to extract[K].
Young underground shoots - raw. Sweet and tender[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Oil Soil stabilization.

Plants have an extensive spreading root system and are used to stabilize inland sand dunes, though they do not tolerate salty conditions[61].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils, preferring a sandy soil and a sunny position[1, 200]. Established plants are drought resistant[183]. Plants can be very invasive, spreading freely by means of the rhizomes.
Currently (1990) being evaluated as a perennial grain crop in N. America[183].
There are some named varieties, selected for their ornamental value[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow mid spring in situ and only just cover the seed[162]. Germination should take place within 2 weeks.
If the supply of seed is limited, it can also be sown in mid spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in summer[K]
Division in spring or summer[162]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Elymus racemosus (a possible synonym).

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Leymus racemosus subsp. racemosus (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[162] Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm 1989 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9
Cultivation details of many of the grasses and bamboos. Well illustrated.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

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