Puccinellia distans
Puccinellia arctica
European alkali grass, puccinellie a fleurs distantes, spreading alkali grass, weeping alkaligrass
arctic alkali grass
5-60 cm, erect to decumbent.
10-30(40) cm, erect.
basally concentrated;
ligules 0.9-3 mm, acute, obtuse, or truncate, entire, margins decurrent;
blades usually flat and 0.5-2.2 mm wide, sometimes involute and 0.2-1.6 mm in diameter.
2.5-20 cm, diffuse at maturity, lower branches horizontal to descending, spikelets usually confined to the distal 2/3, pedicels scabrous, lacking tumid epidermal cells.
3-11 cm, diffuse or contracted at maturity, lowest nodes with (2)3-5 branches, lower branches ascending to horizontal, spikelets usually confined to the distal 2/3;
pedicels scabrous, without tumid epidermal cells.
2.5-7 mm, with 2-7 florets.
4.5-7(9.5) mm, with (2)3-6(8) florets.
rounded over the back, veins obscure, apices acute to truncate;
lower glumes 0.4-1.3 mm;
upper glumes 0.9-1.8 mm;
calluses with a few hairs;
lemmas 1.5-2(2.2) mm, mostly herbaceous, glabrous or sparsely hairy on the lower 1/2, principally along the veins, backs rounded, 5-veined, veins obscure, not extending to the margins, apical margins hyaline and often yellowish, uniformly and densely scabrous, apices widely obtuse to truncate, entire;
palea veins shortly ciliate proximally, glabrous, sometimes scabrous distally;
anthers 0.4-0.8 mm.
rounded over the back, veins distinct or obscure, lateral margins often inrolled, apices acute to obtuse;
lower glumes 0.8-2.1(2.5) mm;
upper glumes 1.8-3 mm;
calluses with a few hairs;
lemmas 2.5-3.7 mm, herbaceous or membranous, often translucent, often purplish, hairy, particularly on the bases of the veins, backs rounded, 5-veined, veins obscure to distinct, midveins scabrous or smooth distally, sometimes extending to the apical margin, sometimes excurrent, lateral veins not extending to the margins, lateral margins often inrolled, apical margins often hyaline and yellowish, scabrous, entire or slightly erose, apices acute to obtuse;
palea veins glabrous, smooth proximally, scabrous from midlength or just below midlength to the apices;
anthers 1.2-2.2 mm.
0.8-1.2 mm, obtuse to truncate, usually entire;
blades 1-7 mm wide, flat to involute.
= 14, 28, 42.
= 14.
Puccinellia distans
Puccinellia arctica
Puccinellia distans is a Eurasian native, reportedly introduced in North America, where it is widespread, particularly as a weed in non-littoral environments, including the margins of salted roads. It is also found occasionally in coastal environments.
A specimen in the Smithsonian Institution attributed to Puccinellia tenuiflora (Griseb.) Scribn. & Merr. by Scribner and Merrill (1910) is a robust example of P. distans; others of this taxon in North America remain to be investigated. Puccinellia hauptiana (Trin. ex V.I. Krecz.) Kitag. has been reduced to P. distans subsp. hauptiana (Trin. ex V.I. Krecz.) W.E. Hughes. This taxon may represent a tetraploid component of P. distans; several specimens identified as P. hauptiana in Eurasia have a tetraploid chromosome count. Specimens from Alaska, the Yukon, and Saskatchewan, identified as P. hauptiana on the basis of their relatively narrow leaves (1-2 mm wide) and small anthers (0.5-0.6 mm), appear to be native in these regions and require further study with regard to their relationship with P. distans.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Puccinellia arctica is restricted to the North American arctic, where it grows in silt, clay, and sandy substrates near the coast, and on alkaline, sparsely vegetated soils further inland. As treated here, it includes three entities that are sometimes treated as distinct species: P. arctica sensu stricto, P. poacea T.J. Sørensen, and P. agrostidea T.J. Sørensen. Puccinellia arctica sensu stricto is restricted to the southwestern arctic, P. poacea to the high arctic (Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg islands), and P. agrostidea to the southwestern arctic and possibly also Ellesmere Island. There are no morphological characters known for distinguishing these three entities. The first two may differ from the latter by the relatively frequent presence of small scabrules along the upper lemma midvein, slightly more distinct veins, and frequent yellowish margins to the lemma. The taxonomic validity of these characters was not completely understood at the time this treatment was written, but molecular analyses being conducted as this volume went to press (Consaul et al. [in prep.]) suggest that this group is best represented as a single species, P. arctica. Argus and Pryer (1990) stated that all three entities are rare in Canada.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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