Leymus* Flora 31: 118 (1848)
Derivation:. An anagram of Elymus.
Key references (keys and floras):. D.Sharp and B.K.Simon, AusGrass (2002); A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2: 95-(2009).
W.D.Clayton & S.A.Renvoize, Genera Graminum (1986), genus (231).
Naturalised. 30 species, from the non-tropical southern hemisphere and especially mountains of central Asia and North America. 1 species in Australia, Tas.
Habit. Perennial, rhizomatous. Culms herbaceous. Leaf blades broad or narrow.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence espatheate, not a compound pseudo-inflorescence.
Spikelets. Fertile spikelets laterally compressed to subterete, disarticulating above glumes.
Glumes. Glumes two, unequal to more or less equal, shorter than adjacent lemmas to long relative to adjacent lemmas, hairy or hairless, when hairless glabrous (rarely) or scabrous, pointed (linear lanceolate to almost setiform), awned to awnless, similar. Lower glume 1–3 nerved.
Florets. Lemmas entire at apex, pointed, mucronate or awned. Awns when present, 1, apical, non-geniculate. Palea awnless, without apical setae, not indurated, several nerved, 2 keeled (pilose or scabrous along the keels, and often between them). Lodicules 2. Stamens 3. Grain longitudinally grooved, compressed dorsiventrally, usually with hairs confined to a terminal tuft. Hilum long-linear. Embryo small.
2n = 28, 42, 56, and 84, 4, 6, 8, and 12 ploid.
Classification. Pooideae; Triticeae.
Notes. Often adapted to saline, alkaline or dune habitats. The dune species include a number of useful sand binders (Cayton and Renvoize, 1986).
Types Species. L. arenarius (L.) Hochst.
Biogeographic Element. Clifford & Simon 1981, Simon & Jacobs 1990: Naturalised.