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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Puccinellia gigantea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10–20 cm long; 1–3 mm wide; mid-green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; dense, or loose; 10–25 cm long; 6–12 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading, or reflexed; 4–8 -nate; 2–5 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 8–11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 0.8–1 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or obovate; 2.2–2.75 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; mid-green, or purple and yellow; bordered with last colour and tipped with last colour; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein falling short of apex. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma apex truncate; awned. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above; with 0.5 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.3–1.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and China. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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