Poa abbreviata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths withering, or persistent and investing base of culm. Culms erect; 5–15 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.2–2 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 2–6 cm long; 1 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; oblong, or ovate; 1–2.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 4.5–5.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous, or woolly (sparse).

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 8 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned in the middle. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.6–0.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia and Soviet far east. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, and southwest USA.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Alaska 1994.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.