Cereal Rye
Secale cereale
Washington State Classification
Class C — Widespread, County-Selected Control
Cereal rye is a domestic rye grown widely throughout North America.
Quick Reference
Identification
Growth Habit
Cereal rye is an annual, or occasionally a biennial and reaches 18 to 40 inches tall.
Leaves
Leaf blades are flat, 1/16 to 3/8 inch wide with open sheaths that may be hairy or smooth.
Flowers
The inflorescence is a terminal spike, somewhat flattened, often with short awns and 3.1 to 5.9 inches long.
Fruit & Seeds
no info provided
Impact
Cereal rye is a domestic rye grown widely throughout North America. However, field contamination from volunteer rye often creates a serious problem with wheat producers. Cereal rye is also known to escape cultivation and become established in other areas.
Ecology & Spread
Habitat
Cereal rye can escape cultivation to become established on roadsides, waste places, cropland and even open rangeland. Please click here to see a county level distribution map of cereal rye in Washington.
Spread Mechanisms
Reproduction
Cereal rye reproduces by seeds.
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