Puccinellia distans
Puccinellia vahliana
European alkali grass, puccinellie a fleurs distantes, spreading alkali grass, weeping alkaligrass
puccinellie de Vahl, Vahl's alkali grass
5-60 cm, erect to decumbent.
5-15 cm, erect.
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.
2-4 cm, usually contracted and dense, sometimes slightly diffuse at maturity, lowest node usually with long and short branches, lower branches erect to ascending, spikelets usually confined to the distal 2/3;
pedicels glabrous and smooth, lacking tumid epidermal cells or with very small tumid epidermal cells.
2.5-7 mm, with 2-7 florets.
3.8-6.5 mm, with 2-4(5) 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.
broadly ovate, enfolding the bases of the lower lemmas, rounded over the back, veins obscure or distinct, apices acute to obtuse;
lower glumes 2-3.5 mm, at least 2/3 as long as the adjacent lemmas;
upper glumes 2.4-4 mm;
rachilla internodes abruptly broadened at the point of attachment to the lemmas, less than 0.09 mm thick;
calluses with a few hairs;
lemmas 3-5.2 mm, usually herbaceous and mostly purplish, sometimes membranous with purple veins, basal 1/2 hairy over and between the veins, backs rounded, 5-veined, veins obscure or distinct, often dark purple, not extending to the margins, apical margins hyaline, often yellowish, smooth, apices acute, entire, becoming erose with age;
palea veins with curly, intertwined hairs on the proximal portion, scabrous distally;
anthers 0.8-1.5 mm.
0.8-1.2 mm, obtuse to truncate, usually entire;
blades 1-7 mm wide, flat to involute.
1-2.5 mm, acute to obtuse, entire;
blades 2-8 mm wide, flat or folded.
= 14, 28, 42.
= 14.
Puccinellia distans
Puccinellia vahliana
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 vahliana is an arctic species that is circumpolar, except in the Beringian region. In the Flora region, it extends from Alaska through northern Canada to Greenland. It is generally non-halophytic, growing in calcareous gravel, sand, clay, or moss of imperfectly drained moist areas, and on seepage slopes from near sea level to 700 m, or, rarely, in seasonally dry, turfy sites. It is often a pioneering species in moist clay and silt by alpine brooks, ephemeral lakes, glacial runoff streams, and on snowbeds. The roots of this species and P. wrightii are characteristically thicker and more tightly curled than those of other Puccinellia species. It sometimes hybridizes with Phippsia algida.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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