Poa caucasica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated. Stolons present. Culms geniculately ascending; 10–30 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1.5–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 4–5 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2–3 -nate. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Caucasus.

NOTES Poeae. Fl USSR 1995.

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