Puccinellia pauciramea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths withering. Culms geniculately ascending; 15–30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades convolute; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 4–6 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.2–1.5 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.8–2 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma obovate; 3–3.2 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5–1.8 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

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

NOTES Poeae. Fl Iran 1995.

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