Puccinellia nutkaensis
Puccinellia fasciculata
Alaska alkali grass, Nootka alkali grass, Pacific alkali grass, puccinellie brillante, shining alkali grass
Borrer's saltmarsh grass, saltmarsh alkali grass
10-90 cm, usually erect, sometimes decumbent.
10-65 cm, usually decumbent and geniculate, sometimes erect.
usually distributed evenly along the culms;
ligules 1-3 mm, obtuse to truncate, entire;
blades 1.5-6 mm wide when flat, flat to involute.
5-30 cm, compact to diffuse at maturity, lower branches usually erect to ascending, occasionally spreading to descending, spikelet-bearing from near the base or the spikelets confined to the distal 1/2;
pedicels from sparsely to densely scabrous, epidermal cells often tumid.
4-16 cm, compact to diffuse at maturity, linear to pyramidal, lower branches ascending to erect, spikelet-bearing nearly to the base;
pedicels slightly to densely scabrous, often with tumid epidermal cells.
3.5-12 mm, with 3-7 florets.
3-6 mm, with 2-6 florets.
rounded over the back, veins obscure, apices acute to truncate;
lower glumes 1-1.6 mm;
upper glumes 2-3 mm;
calluses with a few hairs;
lemmas (2.2)3-4.5(5) mm, herbaceous, glabrous or sparsely hairy on the proximal 1/2, principally along the veins, backs rounded, 5-veined, veins obscure, not extending to the margins, midveins smooth distally, apical margins uniformly and densely scabrous, apices usually acute to obtuse, sometimes acuminate, entire;
palea veins glabrous or with short hairs proximally, scabrous distally;
anthers 0.5-1.4 mm.
rounded over the back, veins prominent to obscure, apices acute to obtuse;
lower glumes 0.8-1.6 mm;
upper glumes 1.2-2.3 mm;
calluses with a few hairs;
lemmas 1.8-3 mm, slightly to markedly coriaceous throughout, glabrous or with a few hairs near the base, backs rounded, 5-veined, veins obscure, midveins usually excurrent, sometimes ending at the margins, apices acute to obtuse, entire, apical margins smooth or with a few scattered scabrules;
palea veins glabrous proximally, scabrous to shortly hispid near midlength, scabrous distally;
anthers 0.6-1 mm.
1-2 mm, obtuse to truncate, entire;
blades 2-7 mm wide, flat, folded, or involute.
= 42, 56.
= 28.
Puccinellia nutkaensis
Puccinellia fasciculata
Puccinellia nutkaensis grows in coastal habitats of continental North America and Greenland, generally in sand and stones in protected intertidal environments. It is variable in form, ranging from diminutive plants that resemble P. pumila to tall, erect plants, often with dense or open inflorescences, resembling P. nuttalliana. Larger plants on the Pacific coast have been called P. grandis Swallen, and those on the Atlantic coast P. lucida Fernald & Weath., but there are many plants of intermediate stature.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Puccinellia fasciculata is native to Europe. In the Flora region, it is found principally along the east coast, but it is also established at a few sites in Arizona and Utah, and has been reported from Nevada. All occurrences in the Flora region are probably the result of human introductions.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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