Rye (
Secale cereale) is a
grass grown extensively as a grain and forage crop. It is a member of the
wheat tribe and is closely related to
barley and
wheat. Rye grain is used to make flour, feed and some whiskeys. Rye, alone or overseeded, is planted as a livestock forage or harvested for hay. It is highly tolerant of soil acidity. The first possible use of domestic rye comes from the site of
Tell Abu Hureyra in northern Syria, in the Euphrates Valley, dating to late Epi-Palaeolithic.
Rye straw is prized in Corn dolly making.
Rye is also the name of several places:
The River Rye, a tributary of the
River Derwent flows in
Yorkshire in
England.
