Puccinellia bruggemannii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 50–110 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.8 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 2–4 cm long; 1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 1.5–2.3 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2 -nate; bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 1.4–1.7 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex entire, or erose; acute. Upper glume ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex entire, or erose; acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2.2–3.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface pilose; hairy below. Lemma apex erose; obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; ciliate; adorned as to hairs below. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.6–0.8 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Subarctic.

NOTES Poeae. Circumpolar Fl 1994.

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