Elymus glaberrimus (Keng & S. L. Chen) S. L. Chen

Plants without rhizome, when culms tufted, or with short rhizome. Culms erect, glaucous, ca. 80 cm tall. Leaf sheath smooth and glabrous, or puberulent at base; leaf blade glaucous, flat, or involute when dry, 8–15 × (0.1–)0.3–0.4 cm, stiff, abaxial surface smooth, glabrous, adaxial surface scabrous. Spike erect, 5–12 cm, with 6–11 spikelets. Spikelets 1 per node, greenish, stramineous when old; rachilla smooth and glabrous, or puberulent. Glumes lucid, oblong-lanceolate, glabrous, margin membranous, apex acute with a tooth on one side; proximal glume 4–6 mm, 3-veined; distal glume 5.5–7.5 mm, 3–5-veined. Lemma oblong-lanceolate, smooth and glabrous throughout; first lemma ca. 9 mm; awn recurved, 3–20 mm, scabrous. Palea equaling lemma, smooth and glabrous abaxially distally or scabrous proximally, ciliolate along keels, apex emarginate or truncate. Fl. and fr. Aug–Sep. 2n = 28*.

Qinghai, Xinjiang.

* Meadows, mountain steppes, rocky slopes; 1400–2300 m.