Poa brevis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 4–7 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 1.5–4.5 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 2–4 cm long; 0.3 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 1–2 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–3.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.3 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins prominent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2–2.3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 2.5–2.7 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels eciliate.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Tovar 1995.

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