Genus: Puccinellia — alkali grass

Wetland-inhabiting species in the genera Glyceria, Puccinellia, and Torreyochloa can be hard to tell apart. Of the three, only Puccinellia species can grow in saline conditions. Use the lower florets in a spikelet to measure the lemmas. Make sure to use fruiting plants when checking the orientation of the panicle branches. References: Hughes and Halliday (1980), Davis and Consaul (2007).

Family

Poaceae (grass family)

This genus’s species in New England

• Puccinellia distans
• Puccinellia fasciculata
• Puccinellia maritima
• Puccinellia nuttalliana
• Puccinellia pumila

Visit this genus in the Dichotomous Key

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