Puccinellia przewalskii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths red. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–40 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long; obtuse, or acute. Leaf-blades convolute; 5–10 cm long; 1–3 mm wide; stiff; grey-green. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 8–14 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2–5 cm long. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous, or sparsely hairy.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.1–1.5 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1.8–2.6 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; 2.8–3.9 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; light green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein extending to apex. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels spinulose; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.8–2.4 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and Mongolia.

NOTES Poeae. Tsvelev 1997.

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