214 



POACEAE 



67. PUCCINELLIA Pari. Fl. Ital. 1 : 366. 1848. 

 Spikelets several-flowered, usually terete or only slightly flattened, the rachilla dis- 

 articulating above the glumes and between the florets; glumes shorter than the first 

 lemma unequal, obtuse or acute, rather iirm, often scarious at the tip, the hrst 1-nerved 

 or sometimes 3-nerved, the second 3-nerved ; lemmas usually firm, rounded on the back, 

 obtuse or acute, rarely acuminate, usually scarious and often erose at the tip, glabrous 

 O'- puberulent toward the base, 5-nerved, the nerves obscure or indistinct, rarely rather 

 prominent- palea about as long as the lemma or somewhat shorter. Annual or usually 

 perennial low pale smooth cespitose grasses with narrow or open panicles. [Named tor 

 Professor Benedetto Puccinelli, an Italian botanist.] 



Species about 25, mostly along coasts and on interior alkali soil of the cool and arctic regions of the 

 northern hemisphere. Type species, Poa distans L. 



Panicle open, the branches spreading or reflexed. , ^ „ „ , , p j;,,„„. 



Lemmas short and broad, truncate; panicle branches finally reflexed. 1. /^. dntans 



Lemmas narrow narrowed to an acute or obtusish point; panicle branches spreading, usually not leflexed. 

 Leaves mostlv in a short basal cluster; panicle usually less than 10 cm. long; lenimas smooth. 



2. P. lemmoni. 

 Leaves scattered; panicle usually more than 10 cm. long: lemmas pubescent on lower part. 



3. P. nuttalhana. 



Panicle narrow, the branches ascending or appressed. , d • ; 



Plant annual; panicles strict. . •*• ^- sunt lex. 



Plant perennial; panicles narrow but not strict. ,, . , , .• ., i .i 



Lemma entire at apex; plants mostly less than 30 cm. tall; panicle not much exceeding the leaves, the 



branches smooth or nearly so. . , , S. P. paupercnla alaskana. 



Lemma ciliolate at apex; plants mostly more than 30 cm. tall; panicles large, overtopping the foliage, 

 the lower branches as much as 7 cm. long, strongly scabrous. 6. P. nutkacnsis. 



1. Puccinellia distans (L.) Pari. 

 European .\lkali Grass. Fig. 498. 



Poa distans L. Mant. PI. 1: 32. 1767. 

 Glyceria distans Wahl. FL L'ps. 36. 1820. 

 Puccinellia distans Pari. Fl. Ital. 1: 367. 1848. 



Culms tufted, spreading or erect, rather thick 

 and somewhat succulent, 20-30 cm. tall; blades 

 2-10 cm. long; panicle ovoid, open, .5-10 cm. 

 long, the branches finally reflexed ; spikelets 

 4-5 mm. long, 4-6-flowered ; glumes slightly un- 

 equal, the first about 1 mm. long; lemmas 

 short and broad, about 2 mm. long, the apex 

 truncate or very obtuse. 



Wet soil, introduced in a few localities in Washing- 

 ton (Wenas, Yakima City, Rockland), Oregon (Port- 

 land, The Dalles, Klamath Falls), and California (San 

 Diego) ; a native of Europe, introduced in the eastern 

 States. June. Type locality, European. 



2. Puccinellia lemmoni ( \'asey) Scribn. 

 Lemmon's Alkali Grass. Fig. 499. 



Poa lemmoni Vasey, Bot. Gaz. 3: 13. 1878. 



Puccinellia lemmoni Scribn. U. S. Dept. Agr. Div. Agrost. 



Bull. 17: 276. /. 572. 1899. 

 Puccinellia rubida Elmer, Bot. Gaz. 36: 56. 1903. 



Culms slender. 15-40 cm. tall; blades short, fili- 

 form, mostly basal, smooth, involute; panicle 5-10 

 cm. long, becoming open, the branches spreading; 

 spikelets 5-6 mm. long; glumes 1-nerved, the first 

 2 mm., the second 3 mm. long; lemmas 3 mm. long, 

 smooth. 



Alkaline soil, eastern Oregon to Nevada and northern 

 California (Sierra Valley, Bolander). June-Aug. Type lo- 

 cality: Sierra County, California. 



