Puccinellia grossheimiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2.8 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 3–7 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 10–12 cm long; 3–5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2–5 -nate. Panicle branches flexuous; with occasional prickles; rough proximally.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.2–1.6 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 2–2.3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; 2.8–3 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; light green and purple; suffused with last colour; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above; with 0.5–0.66 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.4–1.7 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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