The taxonomy of the genus Puccinellia parl. (Gramineae).

The European species of Puccinellia Parl. (Gramineae) have been revised in the light of new information derived from, the study of lemma surfaces and a multivariate analysis of a number of quantitative and qualitative characters from selected taxa. These investigations enable conclusions to be made as to the relationships of several of the taxa studied. An account, which includes details of synonymy, descriptions, geographical distributions and chromosome numbers, has been prepared for eventual inclusion in Flora Europaea, 14 species are described and 14 new combinations are required. These new combinations will be validated in a forthcoming paper in the series "Notulae Systematicae ad Floram Europaeam spectantes". A sectional classification is included, where one new sectional name is proposed sect. Pseudosclerochloa Hughes (type: P. rupestris (With.) Fern, et Weath.) The genus is divided into 2 subgenera: subgenus Puccinellia and subgenus Pseudocolpodium (Tzvelev) Hughes. It is concluded that the genera Torreyochloa Church and Phippsia R. Br. should not be included within the limits of Puccinellia.