Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Taxa

Elymus

Plant Genera

Elymus is a genus of perennial grasses, family Poaceae, subfamily Pooideae, tribe Triticeae, comprising approximately 150 species with Plants of the World Online accepting 173 species and 19 hybrids as of a 2024 count; the genus is cosmopolitan, represented across all continents. Common names include couch grass, wild rye and wheatgrass, and the genus is related to rye, wheat and other cereal grains; its name derives from the Greek elumos, referring to foxtail millet. Established by Carl Linnaeus with Elymus sibiricus as the type species, the genus carries considerable taxonomic complexity, with numerous historical synonyms reflecting the reclassification of species into other genera over time.

Facts
Taxonomic Rank
Genus 2
Member Count Band
100 to 1000 Species 3
Classification
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ1072892, descriptionView the Source
2. Wikipedia: Elymus (plant)
WikipediaIntroduction
Quote, Introduction
Elymus is a genus of perennial plants with approximately 150 species in the grass family, related to rye, wheat, and other widely grown cereal grains.
View the Source
3. Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank): Taxon metrics for Elymus
Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank)Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
Quote, Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
"speciesExtantCount": 210
View the Source
Elymus (Wikipedia)
In Group: Grass Genera (Poaceae), Lead
Quote, In Group: Grass Genera (Poaceae), Lead
Elymus may refer to:
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.