Puccinellia vachanica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 20–40 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 3–5 cm long; 0.5–1.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1–3 -nate. Panicle branches capillary; smooth, or scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.2–2.8 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins stopping well short of apex. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth, or scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.9–1.2 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.