Puccinellia simplex

Scribn.
Common names: Western alkali grass
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 465.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Cindy Roché

Copyright: Utah State University

Plants annual; not mat-forming. Culms usually erect, 2-25 cm. Ligules 1-3 mm, acute to obtuse, entire; blades 0.7-2 mm wide, flat to involute. Panicles 1-18 cm, compact, mostly linear at maturity, primary branches usually spikelet-bearing to the base, lower branches erect; pedicels densely scabrous or with only a few scattered scabrules, often also with a few hairs, often with tumid epidermal-cells. Spikelets 3.5-8 mm, with 2-7 florets. Glumes rounded to weakly keeled over the back, veins obscure to prominent, apices acute; lower glumes 1.3-2 mm; upper glumes 2.3-3 mm; calluses hairy; lemmas 2.5-4 mm, mostly herbaceous, usually with about 0.1 mm hairs distributed sparsely and evenly between the veins, longer hairs also usually present along the veins and near the base, basal hairs often longest, twisted and tangled, backs rounded, sometimes keeled distally, 5-veined, veins usually obscure, sometimes prominent, midveins sometimes reaching the margins, other veins usually not doing so, apical margins often hyaline, smooth or with a few scattered scabrules, apices acute, entire; palea veins with hairs, hairs on the proximal portion longer, twisted and somewhat tangled, hairs on the distal 2/3 usually short and straight; anthers 0.2-0.5 mm. 2n = 56.

Discussion

Puccinellia simplex is widespread in, and mostly confined to, saline soils of central California. The records from Utah probably reflect introductions.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Puccinellia simplex"
membranous +  and scarious +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
Jerrold I. Davis +
Scribn. +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
basal +  and terminal +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
not evident +
flat +  and involute +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
spikelike +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
Western alkali grass +
not branching +
geniculate +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
not woody +
Utah +  and Calif. +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
2 +  and 7 +
sterile +  and bisexual +
compressed +
reduced +
usually distinctly shorter +
subtending +
rounded +  and weakly keeled +
subequal +  and unequal +
membranous +
straight +
uncinate +
less +  and 1/3 +
(3)5(7)-veined +
with a few scattered scabrules +  and smooth +
restricted +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
keeled +  and rounded +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
membranous +  and slightly or distinctly coriaceous +
erose +  and entire +
acute +  and obtuse +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
well-developed +
2-keeled +
subequal +
membranous +  and scarious +
spikelike +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
with only a few scattered scabrules +  and scabrous +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
1 +  and 60 +
subterete +  and weakly laterally compressed +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Gramineae +
Puccinellia simplex +
Puccinellia +
species +
membranous +
0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
obscure +  and prominent +
plant +  and not mat-forming +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +