GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Puccinellia lenensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–15 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; white; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades curved; conduplicate; 2–3 cm long; 1.5–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; hooded.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 3–4 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2 -nate; 1–2 cm long; bearing 2–5 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches flexuous; smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.2–1.6 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse. Upper glume obovate; 2–2.6 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.8–3.2 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; purple and yellow; bordered with last colour; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex truncate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; ciliate; adorned with hairs below. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.8–1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia.

NOTES Poeae. Sarenson 1995.

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