Puccinellia vaginata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 12–20 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.8–2 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades 4–6 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous.

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

Panicle open; pyramidal; 3–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels tip rectangular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume orbicular, or obovate; 0.7–2 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex erose; obtuse. Upper glume orbicular, or obovate; 1.4–2.6 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex erose; obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2.4–3 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; 0.6–0.8 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.7–2.3 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: 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.