Puccinellia himalaica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 5–20 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 2–6 cm long; 0.7–2 mm wide; light green, or grey-green. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 4–9 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches smooth, or with occasional prickles.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4(–5) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.9–1.5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.2–2 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; 1.5–2.1 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 apex emarginate, or acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth, or scabrous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5–0.7 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia and China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pak 1993.

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