common name: lyme grass - new invaders name: lyme grass alternative names: blue dune lyme grass,...

COMMON NAME: LYME GRASS ALTERNATIVE NAMES: Blue Dune Lyme Grass, Sand Rye Grass, Wild Rye, and Blue Lyme Grass. SCIENTIFIC NAME: Leymus arenarius; Elymus arenarius FAMILY: Poaceae ORIGIN: Northern Europe US INTRODUCTION: Introduced for ornamental purposes. Lyme Grass is now present throughout the Great Lakes region. Specifically in Illinois, Lyme Grass has been documented in Cook, Kane, and Lake County. MAJOR PATHWAYS OF SPREAD: • Ornamental use • Underground stems (rhizomes) • Seed dispersion by various sources • Fast growing and long lived (~10 years) IDENTIFICATION CHARACTERISTICS: • 32 inches tall and 3 feet wide at maturity • Leaves are blue/green and grow about 12 inches along and ½ inch wide • Flowers are blue/green dense spikes during the summer, and turn beige later in the year • The ideal habitat for Lyme Grass is full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and is also considered to be drought-tolerant. Lyme grass can grow in a number of soil types or pH levels, and is able to handle environmental salt. Lyme Grass is very tolerant, and is even able to tolerate urban pollution and is able to thrive in inner city environments. • Grows in soggy thickets and meadows, fens, and roadside ditches NATIVE LOOK-ALIKES: • Marram Grass (Ammophila breviligulata): Leaves are distinctly green, not blue/green like in Lyme Grass. • Streambank Wheat Grass (Elymus lanceolatus): Lyme Grass and Streambank Wheat Grass are very similar in appearance. If the plants are fertile, one can see that Leymus arenarius spikes (flowers) are 15-25 mm thick and the spikes of Elymus lanceolatus are only 5-10 mm thick. Additionally, the leaves in Elymus lanceolatus are thinner than that of Leymus arenarius appear to be hairy, and are parallel veined. The flower cluster is longer than it is broad. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: University of Wisconsin Green Bay - Cofrin Center for Biodiversity http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/invasive_species/leyare01.htm Lyme Grass K. Peters Lyme Grass Spikes K. Peters Marram Grass Streambank Wheat Grass Marram Grass Halley Royalbroil W. Alverson www.NewInvaders.org

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COMMON NAME: LYME GRASS

ALTERNATIVE NAMES: Blue Dune Lyme Grass, Sand Rye Grass, Wild Rye, and Blue Lyme Grass.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Leymus arenarius; Elymus arenarius

FAMILY: Poaceae

ORIGIN: Northern Europe

US INTRODUCTION: Introduced for ornamental purposes. Lyme Grass is now presentthroughouttheGreatLakesregion.SpecificallyinIllinois,LymeGrasshasbeen documented in Cook, Kane, and Lake County. MAJOR PATHWAYS OF SPREAD:• Ornamental use• Underground stems (rhizomes)• Seed dispersion by various sources• Fast growing and long lived (~10 years)

IDENTIFICATION CHARACTERISTICS:• 32 inches tall and 3 feet wide at maturity

• Leaves are blue/green and grow about 12 inches along and ½ inch wide

• Flowers are blue/green dense spikes during the summer, and turn beige later in the year

• The ideal habitat for Lyme Grass is full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and is also considered to be drought-tolerant. Lyme grass can grow in a number of soil types or pH levels, and is able to handle environmental salt. Lyme Grass is very tolerant, and is even able to tolerate urban pollution and is able to thrive in inner city environments.

• Grows in soggy thickets and meadows, fens, and roadside ditches

NATIVE LOOK-ALIKES:

• Marram Grass (Ammophila breviligulata): Leaves are distinctly green, not blue/green like in Lyme Grass.

• Streambank Wheat Grass (Elymus lanceolatus): Lyme Grass and Streambank Wheat Grass are very similar in appearance. If the plants are fertile, one can see that Leymus arenariusspikes(flowers)are15-25mmthickandthespikesofElymus lanceolatus are only 5-10 mm thick. Additionally, the leaves in Elymus lanceolatus are thinner than that of Leymus arenarius appear to be hairy, and areparallelveined.Theflowerclusterislongerthanitisbroad.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

University of Wisconsin Green Bay - Cofrin Center for Biodiversityhttp://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/invasive_species/leyare01.htm

Lyme Grass

K. Peters

Lyme Grass Spikes

K. Peters

Marram Grass Streambank Wheat Grass Marram Grass

Halley Royalbroil W. Alverson

www.NewInvaders.org

MIXING OF RYE GRASS (Lolium multiflorum)

LYME DISEASE Other names: Erythema (chronicum) migrans, Lyme

Lyme Presentation