Poa afghanica

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long; lacerate; obtuse. Leaf-blades 5–10 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 13 cm long; 12 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading, or reflexed; 2–3 -nate; whorled at most nodes; 3–6 cm long. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong, or ovate; 2.5 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 3.5–4 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; purple; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.75 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Bor 1992.

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