Puccinellia parishii
Encyclopedia
Puccinellia parishii is an uncommon species of grass
known by the common names bog alkali grass and Parish's alkali grass. It is native to the western United States, where it is known from a few locations in Arizona
and New Mexico
, and one occurrence each in California
and Colorado
.
It grows in wet and seasonally wet habitat with alkali soils
such as mineral spring
s. It is an annual bunchgrass with erect stems growing to 20 to 22 cm (7.9 to 8.7 ) in maximum height with very narrow, firm leaves around the bases. The inflorescence
is a small array of a few narrow branches bearing spikelets.
It is an ephemeral
grass, beginning to produce stems near the end of winter, flowering in early spring, dying and withering away by July.
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
known by the common names bog alkali grass and Parish's alkali grass. It is native to the western United States, where it is known from a few locations in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, and one occurrence each in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
It grows in wet and seasonally wet habitat with alkali soils
Alkali soils
Alkali, or alkaline, soils are clay soils with high pH , a poor soil structure and a low infiltration capacity. Often they have a hard calcareous layer at 0.5 to 1 metre depth. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico-chemical properties mainly to the dominating presence of sodium carbonate...
such as mineral spring
Mineral spring
Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produce water containing minerals, or other dissolved substances, that alter its taste or give it a purported therapeutic value...
s. It is an annual bunchgrass with erect stems growing to 20 to 22 cm (7.9 to 8.7 ) in maximum height with very narrow, firm leaves around the bases. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a small array of a few narrow branches bearing spikelets.
It is an ephemeral
Ephemeral
Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
grass, beginning to produce stems near the end of winter, flowering in early spring, dying and withering away by July.