Puccinellia tenella

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent, or prostrate; 5–30 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 4–7 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath, or an inflated leaf-sheath.

Panicle open, or contracted; oblong, or ovate; 3–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading, or reflexed; 2–6 -nate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels tip widened.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 0.5–1.5 mm long; 0.4–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex erose; truncate, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.2–2.1 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate, or obovate; 2–3 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma apex erose; truncate, or obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; eciliate; adorned below. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5–1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.4–1.6 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia and Soviet far east. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, and eastern Canada.

NOTES Poeae. Circumpolar Fl 1994.

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