Secale cereale

Slender, erect annual to 1.5 m high, culms pubescent below the inflorescence. Leaves glabrous, smooth to finely scabrous; blade flat, 10–25 cm long, 3–10 mm wide; ligule truncate, membranous, 1–2 mm long; falcate auricles sometimes developed. Inflorescence a dense spike, 5–15 cm long (excluding awns), usually drooping at maturity; rachis silky-hairy along lateral angles. Spikelets 12–25 mm long (excluding awns), with 2 equal, opposed florets; glumes equal, subulate, 6–12 mm long, strongly keeled; lemma lanceolate, 7–15 mm long, scabrous-ciliate along keel and margins, evenly tapered to the 2–5 cm long, scabrous awn; palea subequal to body of lemma. Flowers Aug.–Sep.