Puccinellia roshevitsiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths light brown, or red. Culms 30–80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades straight; involute; 2–4 mm wide; grey-green. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 10–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 3–5 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous; rough distally.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 5–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 3 mm long; 0.8–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma obovate; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; without keel, or keeled; lightly keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy at base. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1–1.2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

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

NOTES Poeae. Fl USSR 1995.

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