Puccinellia lemmonii
Puccinellia wrightii
Lemmon's alkali grass
blades involute, 1.2–1.9 mm wide when flat.
panicles compact to open at maturity, 2–18 cm; lower branches ascending to descending, usually spikeletbearing to the base;
pedicels scabrous, lacking tumid epidermal cells.
3.5–8 mm, 2–6 florets.
rounded over the back;
veins obscure;
tips acute to obtuse;
lower glumes 0.7– 1.5 mm;
upper glumes 1.4–3 mm.
2.4–4 mm, sometimes weakly keeled, 5-veined;
veins obscure;
midveins often slightly scabrous and prominent in the distal half, often extending to the margins near the tip;
lateral veins not extending to the margins; apical margins; smooth to scabrous; entire;
tips acute; entire.
1–2 mm.
=14.
Puccinellia lemmonii
Puccinellia wrightii
Alkaline flats and meadows. 800–1700 m. BR, BW, Col, ECas, Owy. CA, ID, NV; northeast to MT, east to WY. Native.
This grass is unusual among Puccinellia species because of its dense basal tuft of very narrow leaves and its pointed lemmas. Puccinellia nuttalliana may have leaves concentrated at the base but usually has leaves scattered up the culm as well. Additionally, its lemmas are usually obtuse. Fine-leaved Poa secunda ssp. secunda has a superficially similar appearance but has relatively longer glumes and tends to live in drier, less strongly alkaline habitats.
Barbara Wilson, Richard Brainerd, Nick Otting
- Local floras:
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
