Puccinellia filifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.2–2 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 3–11 cm long; 0.2–0.6 mm wide; mid-green, or grey-green. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; oblong; 5–20 cm long; 1–5 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5–1.2 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 1–1.8 mm long; 0.66–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or obovate; 1.5–2 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein extending to apex. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex truncate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth, or scabrous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.9–1.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and Mongolia.

NOTES Poeae. Tsvelev 2001.

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