Puccinellia humilis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 4–15 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 1–3 cm long; 1 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear, or lanceolate; 2–5 cm long; 0.5–1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 2.2 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–3.5 mm long; membranous; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface pilose; hairy at base. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.7–1.2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia and China.

NOTES Poeae. Fl China 2007.

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