Puccinellia

HABIT Annual (9), or perennial (105). Rhizomes absent (109), or short (1), or elongated (1). Stolons absent (110), or present (5). Culms erect (58/84), or geniculately ascending (52/84), or decumbent (10/84), or prostrate (6/84); slender (4/4); 2–30.18–110 cm long; rooting from lower nodes (1/1). Culm-internodes terete (2/2). Lateral branches lacking (2/4), or ample (2/4). Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length (68/68). Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform (9), or linear (102); stiff (7), or firm (103), or flaccid (1).

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or composed of racemes (1); subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath (109), or an inflated leaf-sheath (3); exserted (98), or embraced at base by subtending leaf (14), or enclosed (1).

Panicle open (82), or contracted (36), or spiciform (2). Primary panicle branches not whorled (107), or whorled at lower nodes (1), or whorled at most nodes (3).

Racemes single (1/1); unilateral (1/1).

Spikelets appressed (1/1); solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile (6), or pedicelled. Pedicels linear (9/13), or oblong (4/13); tip rectangular (1/2), or widened (1/2).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–5–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear (6), or lanceolate (9), or elliptic (6), or oblong (96), or ovate (1), or rhomboid (1), or cuneate (1); laterally compressed; 1.66–5.839–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret (110), or elongated between glumes (1); definite; glabrous (110), or sparsely hairy (1). Floret callus glabrous (28/41), or sparsely hairy (3/41), or pubescent (11/41), or pilose (1/41).

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets (1). Lower glume linear (7), or lanceolate (30), or elliptic (16), or oblong (15), or ovate (56), or orbicular (1), or obovate (1); 0.33–0.6661–1 length of upper glume; membranous (109), or chartaceous (1), or herbaceous (1); without keels (107/110), or 1-keeled (3/110); 0 -veined (1/108), or 1 -veined (105/108), or 2 -veined (7/108), or 3 -veined (9/108). Lower glume lateral veins absent (101), or obscure (6), or distinct (9), or prominent (1). Lower glume surface smooth (110), or scabrous (1); without pits; glabrous (109), or puberulous (2). Lower glume apex entire (105), or erose (10); emarginate (1/100), or truncate (1/100), or obtuse (57/100), or acute (50/100), or acuminate (1/100). Upper glume linear (2), or lanceolate (26), or elliptic (31), or oblong (14), or ovate (45), or orbicular (1), or obovate (2); 0.5–0.7676–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous (108/110), or chartaceous (1/110), or herbaceous (1/110); with undifferentiated margins (102), or hyaline margins (9); without keels (107/110), or 1-keeled (3/110); 1 -veined (5/106), or 2 -veined (3/106), or 3 -veined (103/106), or 4 -veined (2/106), or 5 -veined (3/106). Upper glume surface smooth (110), or asperulous (1), or scabrous (1); glabrous (109), or puberulous (2). Upper glume apex entire (104), or erose (11); emarginate (1/99), or truncate (1/99), or obtuse (62/99), or acute (39/99), or acuminate (2/99).

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate (7), or elliptic (19), or oblong (72), or ovate (26), or orbicular (1), or obovate (18); membranous (107), or chartaceous (3), or cartilaginous (1); of similar consistency above (13), or much thinner above (98); of similar consistency on margins (97), or much thinner on margins (14); without keel (105), or keeled (7); wingless; 3 -veined (2), or 5 -veined (109), or 6–7 -veined (1). Lemma midvein extending to apex (13/18), or falling short of apex (5/18); without distinctive roughness (110), or scabrous (1); eciliate (109), or ciliolate (1), or ciliate (1), or pubescent (1). Lemma lateral veins obscure (70/76), or distinct (4/76), or prominent (2/76); stopping well short of apex (100/100). Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous (1); unwrinkled; without grooves; glabrous (59), or puberulous (16), or pubescent (35), or pilose (8), or hirsute (1); hairy on back (41/60), or on veins (19/60), or between veins (1/60). Lemma margins eciliate (97), or ciliolate (10), or ciliate (3), or pubescent (1). Lemma apex entire (86), or erose (26); emarginate (4/107), or truncate (17/107), or obtuse (67/107), or acute (28/107), or acuminate (6/107), or apiculate (1/107); muticous (106), or mucronate (8), or awned (1). Palea 0.75–0.9949–1.1 length of lemma; 2 -veined (108/108). Palea keels smooth (65), or scaberulous (11), or scabrous (39), or spinulose (1); eciliate (71), or puberulous (1), or ciliolate (24), or ciliate (17). Palea apex dentate (2/2); muticous (109), or with excurrent keel veins (3). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2 (1/1). Anthers 3 (110/110). Ovary glabrous (84/84).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (89/89); lanceolate (1/15), or ellipsoid (6/15), or ovoid (7/15), or obovoid (1/15). Embryo 0.2–0.235–0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform (88/88).

DISTRIBUTION Europe (18), or Africa (5), or Temperate Asia (74), or Tropical Asia (9), or Australasia (12), or North America (23), or South America (10), or Antarctica (3).

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.