Elytrigia juncea (L.) Nevski subsp. juncea

Spice Flower In the field

Family: GRAMINEAE (POACEAE)

Genus: Elytrigia

Sinònims: Agropyrum junceum (L.) Beauv. subsp. mediterraneum Simonet & Guinochet Elymus farctus (Viv.) Runemark

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Geophyte.

Habitats: Beaches and dunes, sandy soils. Coastal sandy soils.

Characteristics: Together with Ammophila arenaria, this is a typical Gramene which is very frequent on beaches and dunes. It is smaller than Ammophila and forms loosly dense carpets, instead of dense bushes, because it has underground rhizomes. It can also be distinguished from Ammophila because the ligule of the leaves is short; moreover the inflorescence is very different: it is one spike where the spikelets grow directly from the stem. To distinguish it from other Elymus it is necessary to use the classification key, yet the other species rarely colonize sandy soils (although this is not altogether impossible!). It flowers in summer like many dune plants.