Church's Wild Rye (Elymus churchii)

Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Poaceae
State: AL, AR, MO, OK
Nature Serve ID: 797522
Lifeform: Graminoid
Date Inducted in National Collection: 11/27/2018

Description:

Elymus churchii is a grass that is endemic to the western Ozark Mountains in Missouri and Arkansas and the Central Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas and Oklahoma. It was described in 2006 by Julian Campbell (Campbell 2006). The species is found in dry woods on ridges, bluffs, and along the banks of rivers, usually in alkaline soil (Natureserve 2018).

Where is Church's Wild Rye (Elymus churchii) located in the wild?

States & Provinces:

Church's Wild Rye can be found in Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma

Which CPC Partners conserve Church's Wild Rye (Elymus churchii)?

Missouri Botanical Garden

Conservation Actions

Tina Stanley

11/07/2022

Missouri Botanical Garden was funded by CPC and Kew Foundation America to make conservation seed collections of this species in 2018.

MOBOT collected Elymus churchii at Butler Hollow Glades Natural Area on September 13, 2018, from plants on the southern end of the natural area. MOBOT avoided collecting plants in the northern edge of the natural area, because the sub population may be genetically introgressed with co-occurring E. hystrix, (J. Thomas, personal communication). Plants were scattered throughout the survey area, with a few noticeably large patches. Many seeds had already detached from the spikelets, but some seeds did remain. In total, they collected from 33 of the estimated 50 - 100 plants at this location, yielding a total of 43 seeds from 7 maternal lines. The entirety of this seed collection will be banked at MOBOT due to its small size.

MOBOT collected Elymus churchii at Lake Leatherwood City Park in Eureka Springs, AZ on September 13, 2018. In total, they collected seed from 32 of the estimated 100+ plants at Lake Leatherwood City Park, yielding a total of 1,073 seeds.

MOBOT attempted two collections at Devil’s Eyebrow Natural Area on September 14, 2018. They located plants at previously known locations on Trimble Mountain and west of the mountain, but most plants had already shed spikelets and no longer held collectable seed.