Poa boxiana

HABIT Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending; slender; 30–40 cm long. Culm-internodes elliptical in section; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4 mm long; erose; acute. Leaf-blades flexuous; flat, or involute; 5–8 cm long; 1.5–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 8–9 cm long; 0.7 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.8–3 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume margins scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Palea keels ciliolate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Luces 1996.

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