Puccinellia pamirica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glossy; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute, or convolute; 2–4 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.75–2 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma apex erose; acute, or acuminate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.8–2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, western Asia, and China.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Iran 1995.

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