Poaceae
Puccinellia

Puccinellia nutkaensis (J.Presl) Fernald & Weath.

First published in Rhodora 18: 22 (1916)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Subarctic America to N. & W. U.S.A. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Culms 20-60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5-3.5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 1-2 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; elliptic; 8-15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 1-3 cm long. Panicle branches smooth, or with occasional prickles. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 5-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 5-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 1.5 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 2.2-2.5 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 3-3.6 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy at base. Lemma apex erose; obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.7-1.2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, and southwest USA.
Reference
Poeae. Fl Pac NW 1994.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0