Beachrye
	Leymus mollis ssp. mollis
	n = 3
	III.A.1.a. “Dry Graminoid Herbaceous- Elymus”
	Ecosystem: Tidal

Beachrye (Leymus mollis ssp. mollis) is widespread and well known in North America.

Beachrye grass occurs as a tall, dense, usually linear stand oriented parallel to the beach on gravelly / sandy (or finer) berms at the storm line.  

Beachrye often exists as a monospecific (single species) stand, though pacific silverweed (Argentina egedii), Lyngbye’s sedge (Carex lyngbyei), largeflower speargrass (Poa eminens) and seaside arrowgrass (Triglochin maritimum), along with many other plants, are sometimes mixed in at low cover values.  

This type is not a jurisdictional wetland; it floods infrequently has a thin or absent organic soil layer and a deep water table.  However, it is surrounded by other wetlands, so supports many wetland functions.  The pH in this type has been reported to be circumneutral (Viereck et. al., 1992), although Boggs (2000) reports values up to 8.4; at the one site we measured it was a moderately alkaline 8.2.  This type, although classified in The Vegetation of Alaska (Viereck, et. al., 1992) as “dry graminoid”, many Beachrye stands may function as wetlands when flooding.

Table 1.  Summary of plant frequency and average cover for plants occurring in more than 50% of plots.

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