i. P. maritima. 



214 GRAMINEAE. 



82. PUCCINELLIA Parl. Fl. Ital. i: 366. 1848. 



Perennial grasses, with flat or involute leaves and contracted or open panicles. Spike- 

 lets 3-several-flowered. Lower scales empty, obtuse or acute, unequal; flowering scales ob- 

 tuse or acute, rounded on the back, 5-nerved, the nerves very obscure or almost wanting. 

 Palet about equalling the scale. Stamens 3. Styles wanting. Stigmas sessile, simply plu- 

 mose. Grain compressed, usually adhering to the palet. [Name in honor of Benedetto 

 Puccinelli, Italian botanist.] 



About 14 species, in all temperate regions. 



Panicle open, its branches spreading or ascending, rarely erect. 

 Lower flowering scales i % "-2" long; plant stoloniferous. 

 Lower flowering scales i J<" long or less; plants not stoloniferous. 



Second empty scale less than half the length of the flowering scales, broad, obtuse or 



truncate; spikelets crowded. 2. P. distans. 



Second empty scale more than half the length of the flowering scales, narrow, obtuse or 



acute; spikelets not crowded. 3. P. airoides. 



Panicle contracted, its branches erect, rarely ascending; northern species. 4. P. angustata.. 



\. A 



i. Puccinellia maritima (Huds.) 

 Parl. Goose-grass. Sea Spear- 

 grass. (Fig. 493.) 



Poa maritima Huds. Fl. Angl. 35. 1762. 

 Glyceria maritima M. & K. Deutsch. Fl. i: 



588. 1823. 

 Puccinellia maritima Parl. Fl. Ital. i: 370. 1848. 



Stoloniferous, smooth, glabrous, culms 

 6 / -2 tall, erect, or decumbent at the base, 

 simple. Sheaths usually exceeding the in- 

 ternodes; ligule ^ // -i // long; leaves j4 / ~5 / 

 long, i" wide or less, flat to involute; pan- 

 icle 2 / -6 / in length, open, the branches as- 

 cending, or rarely erect, i / -2 / long; spikelets 

 3-io-flowered, $"->" long; empty scales un- 

 equal, the first usually i-nerved, the second 

 3-nerved; flowering scales i%"-2" long, 

 broad, obtuse or truncate. 



In salt marshes and on sea beaches, Nova 

 Scotia to Rhode Island. Also on the Pacific 

 coast, and on the coasts of Europe and Asia. 

 uly-Aug. 



2. Puccinellia distans (L.) Parl. Spreading Meadow-grass. (Fig. 494.) 



Poa distans L- Mant. 32. 1767. 



Glyceria distans Wahl. Fl. Ups. 36. 1820. 



Puccinellia distans Parl. Fl. Ital. i: 367. 1848. 



Culms i-2 tall, erect, or sometimes de- 

 cumbent at the base, tufted, smooth and gla- 

 brous. Sheaths often shorter than the inter- 

 nodes, smooth and glabrous; ligule y 2 "-\" 

 long; leaves ^'-6' long, i // -2 // wide, flat or 

 folded, usually stiff and erect, smooth be- 

 neath; panicle 2 / ~7 / in length, open, rarely 

 contracted, the branches spreading or ascend- 

 ing, whorled, the lower i / ~4^ / long, some- 

 times reflexed; spikelets crowded, 3-6-flow- 

 ered, i> // -2^ // long; empty scales obtuse 

 or acute, i-nerved, the second exceeding the 

 first and less than half the length of the ob- 

 scurely nerved and obtuse flowering scales, 

 which are l /i"-\" long. 



On salt meadows, sea beaches and in waste 

 places, Nova Scotia to New Jersey. Probably 

 naturalized from Europe. July-Aug. 



