|  | 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. repens).
     
      |  | 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]   |  |  | Repens: 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 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; NOT [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] |  |  | Plants with long, creeping rhizomes; glumes distinctly keeled distally
        (at least some glumes in spike), the keel usually extending into either
        a smooth, blunt or a scabrous, tapered awn to 3 mm long; lemma unawned
        or with awns to 4 (10) mm long; anthers (3) 4-7 mm long; auricles
        well-developed; collars on lower leaves divided, often puberulent; NOT
        [Plants tufted with dense fibrous roots, rhizomes absent or very short;
        glumes flat distally or occasionally weakly keeled, the tips unawned or
        tapering into slender, scabrous awns to 11 mm long; lemma unawned or
        with awns to 40 mm long; anthers 1.5-3.5 mm long; auricles present,
        absent or rudimentary; collars divided or continuous, glabrous] |  |  |