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 walkeri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths yellow, or grey, or light brown, or purple. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 10–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; longer than adjacent culm internode; without keel; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.6–3 mm long; entire; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 5–25 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; grooved adaxially; scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 2–17 cm long; 2–14 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches angular; smooth, or scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.8–1.5 mm long. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 1.5–3.6 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 2–4.5 mm long; 0.66–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 3–4.8 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; glaucous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma midvein extending to apex. Lemma lateral veins stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy below, or at base; hairy on veins. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; eciliate; adorned above; with 0.33–0.66 of their length adorned. Palea apex muticous, or with excurrent keel veins. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.8–1.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.8–2.6 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar 1995.

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