Poa cenisia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes short. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 20–40 cm long. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–9 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 2–3 mm wide; glaucous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or oblong, or ovate; 4.5–10 cm long. Panicle branches terete; scabrous; rough throughout, or distally.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 4–5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scabrous; eciliate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, and southeastern. Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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