Poa bucharica

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms decumbent; 50–100 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blades 7–15 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or oblong; dense; 5–10 cm long; 1–3 cm wide. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas; smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels smooth; eciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, western Asia, and China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Iran 1995.

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