Poa carazensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–24 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2.5 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 4–12 cm long; 1.5–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 5–12 cm long; 1–2 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.7–2.4 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.2–2.8 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5–5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex entire, or erose; obtuse. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2–2.7 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.