Puccinellia distans
Puccinellia pumila
European alkali grass, puccinellie a fleurs distantes, spreading alkali grass, weeping alkaligrass
dwarf alkali grass, puccinellie naine, smooth alkali grass, tundra alkali grass
5-60 cm, erect to decumbent.
8-40 cm, erect to decumbent.
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.
3-20 cm, dense to diffuse at maturity, lower branches ascending to descending, spikelets borne from near the bases or confined to the distal 2/3;
pedicels smooth or with a few scattered scabrules, often with tumid epidermal cells distally.
2.5-7 mm, with 2-7 florets.
4-9 mm, with 3-7 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 obscure to distinct, apices acute to obtuse;
lower glumes 1.4-2(4) mm;
upper glumes 2-3(9) mm;
calluses glabrous or with a few hairs;
lemmas 2.5-4.6 mm, herbaceous, glabrous or with a few hairs on the vein bases, backs rounded, 5-veined, veins obscure, not extending to the margins, apical margins usually smooth, occasionally with a few scattered scabrules, entire, not white, apices acute to obtuse, entire;
palea veins glabrous, smooth or with a few scabrules distally;
anthers 0.5-1.2 mm.
0.8-1.2 mm, obtuse to truncate, usually entire;
blades 1-7 mm wide, flat to involute.
0.8-2.5 mm, obtuse to truncate, entire;
blades 1-3 mm wide, flat to involute.
= 14, 28, 42.
= 14 [for Puccinellia alaskana], 42, 56.
Puccinellia distans
Puccinellia pumila
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 pumila is primarily North American, growing on the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic coasts. It also grows in Kamchatka, Russia (Tsvelev 1995). It generally grows in sand and among stones in protected intertidal environments. A few specimens with exceptionally long glumes and lemmas were treated by Fernald and Weatherby (1916) as P. paupercula var. longiglumis Fernald & Weath.; they are regarded here as representing extremes of P. pumila.
Puccinellia alaskana Scribn. & Merr., here included in P. pumila, was considered a subspecies of P. langeana (Berlin) T.J. Serensen ex Hulten [= P. tenella] by S0rensen (1953), but more closely resembles P. pumila. It differs morphologically from P. pumila mainly in its relatively distinct lemma veins. It also differs from most specimens of P. pumila in having smaller lemmas (2.5-3 mm) and anthers (0.5-0.9 mm), and in being diploid. It represents the Aleutian Islands component of the geographic distribution given for P. pumila. Its status is currently under investigation. Molecular data obtained as this volume went to press (Consaul et al. [in prep.]) tend to support recognition of P. alaskana as a distinct species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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- Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, Go Botany, PNW Herbaria
- WildflowerSearch
- iNaturalist (observations)
- USDA Plants Database
- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
