Puccinellia nutkaensis
Puccinellia nutkaensis is a species of grass known by the common names Nootka alkaligrass[1] and Alaska alkali grass. It is native to North America from Alaska across northern Canada to Greenland and Nova Scotia, and down to Washington to Oregon to the Central Coast of California.
| Puccinellia nutkaensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pooideae |
| Genus: | Puccinellia |
| Species: | P. nutkaensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Puccinellia nutkaensis | |
Description
Puccinellia nutkaensis is a perennial bunchgrass which is quite variable in appearance, taking a petite, clumpy form or growing erect to 90 centimeters in height with robust inflorescences.[2] It sometimes roots at stem nodes that become buried in moist substrate, and forms dense stands.
A species of leafhopper, Macrosteles fascifrons, is associated with this grass in Alaska, remaining on the grass even when it is submerged amid icebergs.[3][4]
Habitat
It is a plant of the coastline in wet areas with rocky, sandy saline soils. A halophyte, the grass is used for revegetation of salt marshes and other habitat in the intertidal zone in Alaska, where it is valuable for its tolerance of heavy inundation in cold saltwater during high tides and storm surges.[3]
References
- USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Puccinellia nutkaensis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- Grass Manual Treatment Archived 2011-06-11 at the Wayback Machine
- State of Alaska Revegetation Manual Archived 2010-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
- DeLong, D. W. (1970). An Alaskan leafhopper that lives normally beneath icy tidal submergence. Ohio Journal of Science 70:2 111.