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Nuttall alkaligrass, Nuttall's alkali grass

Borrer's saltmarsh grass, saltmarsh alkali grass

Habit Plants perennial; cespitose, not mat-forming. Plants short-lived perennials; cespitose, not mat-forming.
Culms

10-100 cm, usually erect.

10-65 cm, usually decumbent and geniculate, sometimes erect.

Leaves

either concentrated at the base or distributed along the culms;

ligules 1-3 mm, obtuse, usually entire, sometimes slightly erose;

blades 1-4 mm wide, flat to involute.

Panicles

5-30 cm, compact to diffuse at maturity, usually distinctly exserted from the sheaths, lower branches usually erect to diverging, occasionally descending, spikelet-bearing from the base or on the distal 2/3;

pedicels scabrous, lacking tumid epidermal cells.

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.

Spikelets

3.5-9 mm, with 2-7 florets.

3-6 mm, with 2-6 florets.

Glumes

rounded over the back, veins obscure, apices acute to obtuse;

lower glumes 0.5-1.5 mm, usually less than 1/2 as long as the adjacent lemmas;

upper glumes 1-2.8 mm;

rachilla internodes slightly and gradually broadened to the point of attachment with the lemmas;

calluses with a few hairs;

lemmas (2)2.2-3(3.5) 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, smooth distally, lateral margins inrolled or not, apical margins uniformly and densely scabrous, apices acute to obtuse, entire;

palea veins glabrous, short-ciliate, or with a few long hairs proximally, smooth or scabrous distally;

anthers 0.6-2 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.

Ligules

1-2 mm, obtuse to truncate, entire;

blades 2-7 mm wide, flat, folded, or involute.

2n

= 28, 42, 56.

= 28.

Puccinellia nuttalliana

Puccinellia fasciculata

Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; KS; ME; MN; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; NY; OR; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Greenland
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CT; DE; MA; MD; ME; NH; NJ; NV; NY; PA; RI; UT; VA; NS; ON; PE
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Puccinellia nuttalliana is a widespread and variable species, restricted to the Flora region. It grows principally in the interior, but is also found in coastal settings, where it is difficult to distinguish from P. nutkaensis. Northern, primarily boreal or southern arctic populations with relatively short lemmas and anthers (2-2.8 mm and 0.6-0.9 mm, respectively), and with a few long hairs on the lower palea veins, have sometimes been recognized as P. borealis Swallen.

(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.)

Source FNA vol. 24, p. 475. FNA vol. 24, p. 463.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Pooideae > tribe Poeae > Puccinellia Poaceae > subfam. Pooideae > tribe Poeae > Puccinellia
Sibling taxa
P. andersonii, P. angustata, P. arctica, P. bruggemannii, P. distans, P. fasciculata, P. groenlandica, P. howellii, P. lemmonii, P. maritima, P. nutkaensis, P. parishii, P. phryganodes, P. pumila, P. rupestris, P. simplex, P. tenella, P. vaginata, P. vahliana, P. wrightii
P. andersonii, P. angustata, P. arctica, P. bruggemannii, P. distans, P. groenlandica, P. howellii, P. lemmonii, P. maritima, P. nutkaensis, P. nuttalliana, P. parishii, P. phryganodes, P. pumila, P. rupestris, P. simplex, P. tenella, P. vaginata, P. vahliana, P. wrightii
Synonyms P. rosenkrantzii, P. porsildii, P. interior, P. deschampsioides, P. cusickii, P. borealis, P. airoides
Name authority (Schult.) Hitchc. (Torr.) E.P. Bicknell
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