Triticeae: Answers to key questions leading to this tribe. 

	Mature inflorescence, if breaking into units, then the units not as below; NOT [Mature inflorescence breaking into spikelet units consisting of a sessile fertile spikelet, a hairy pedicel with or without a sterile spikelet at tip, and a hairy rachis joint, all arising at the same point (a node) in specialized panicle branches called rames]
	Spikelets not as below; sterile florets if present, either located distal to the fertile floret(s) on the rachilla or paired and attached at the base of a single fertile floret, not paired with the upper glume as below; lemma and palea variously textured, enclosing the flower or not; disarticulation usually above the glumes; NOT [Spikelets usually dorsally compressed, appearing 1-flowered but containing 1 fertile floret and 1 sterile floret, the latter attached to the base of fertile floret opposite the upper glume, resembling the upper glume, and together with the upper glume enveloping the fertile floret; lower glumes minute (sometimes absent) to 3/4 as long as upper glumes and typically wrapping most of the way around the pedicel at base; fertile floret seed-like with chartaceous-indurate lemma and palea enclosing flower and fruit; disarticulation below the glumes with rare exceptions]
	Spikelets 1 to many-flowered, subtended by a pair of glumes (only 1 on lateral spikelets in Lolium); palea margins enclosed or not; plants of dry or wet habitats; NOT [Spikelets 1-flowered, lacking glumes; margins of the palea tightly enclosed by the lemma margins on female or perfect florets; plants of wetlands, often emergent aquatic]
	Inflorescence a terminal spike with sessile or subsessile spikelets attached broadside at nodes on opposite sides of the rachis; NOT [Inflorescence not as above; if a terminal spike, then the lateral spikelets attached edgewise to the rachis with inner (upper) glume wanting (as in Lolium)]

Elymus: Answers to key questions leading to this genus. Not all the answers apply to all members of Elymus, but they all do apply to a subset containing E. lanceolatus).

	Spikelets 1 per node, occasionally 2 at some nodes; NOT  [Spikelets 2 or more per node, occasionally 1 at some nodes]
	Spikes not pectinate with spikelets not arranged as below; spikelets usually appressed to ascending, sometimes somewhat divergent; glumes usually flat at base, sometimes keeled towards tip; NOT [Spikes usually pectinate with spikelets closely-set, regularly-spaced and parallel like the teeth of a comb; spikelets divergent at angles of 30° to 90° from the rachis at maturity; glume keels prominent to base]
	Introduced or native perennials;  NOT [Introduced annuals rarely found outside cultivation or plantings]
	Glumes and lemmas not particularly thick-textured and rigid, the apices acute, acuminate or awned; plants native or introduced, uncommon to very common in SK; NOT [Glumes and lemmas distinctly thick-textured, rigid and usually blunt- tipped (glumes sometimes mucronate, lemmas occasionally awned); plants introduced, rare in SK]
	Lemmas unawned or with awns straight or somewhat flexuous; if awns strongly outcurving, then at midspike the spikelets twice as long as the rachis internodes or longer and extending beyond 2 nodes, and the lemmas usually pubescent; NOT [Lemma awns strongly outcurving; at midspike the spikelets the same length as the rachis internodes or 1.5 times as long and extending into the middle of the next internode; lemmas glabrous]
	Plants without the below combination of characteristics: if the glumes as below then the leaf blade surfaces not markedly different; NOT [Glumes widest at or near base, not widening at midlength or beyond; the longer glume about as long as the lowest lemma; leaf blades to 4.5 mm wide, stiff, usually glaucous, tapering to a sharp point, usually angled away from the culm at a ± fixed angle approaching 45°; the prominently ridged adaxial surface markedly different from the ± smooth abaxial surface; plants with creeping rhizomes]

Lanceolatus: Answers to key questions leading to this species. 

	Spikelets 1 per node (occasionally 2 at some nodes); glumes lanceolate or wider (except E. glaucus which may have linear-lanceolate glumes); NOT [Spikelets 2 or more per node (occasionally 1 at some nodes); glumes setaceous to linear-lanceolate]
	Lemmas usually pubescent; the lower (shorter) glume usually 1/2 to 2/3 as long as the adjacent lemma; glumes flat or weakly keeled; lemma awns, if > 2mm long, then usually curved outward at maturity; leaf blades involute, seldom flat, 1-6 mm wide; culms growing in loose tufts from slender, creeping rhizomes; NOT [Lemmas usually glabrous; the lower glume usually 3/4 as long to longer than the adjacent lemma; glumes flat or distinctly keeled distally; lemma awns, if > 2 mm long, then straight or somewhat flexuous at maturity; leaf blades seldom involute, usually flat, 2-17 mm wide; culms growing in tufts without rhizomes (or with very short rhizomes) or singly from long, thick, creeping rhizomes]
	Lemmas unawned or with awns to about 2 mm long and straight; NOT [Lemmas awned, the awns 4-12 (15) mm long, usually moderately to strongly outcurving at maturity, occasionally ± straight]