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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Poa chapmaniana

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 3–30 cm long; 2–4 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1–14 cm long; 1–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute; hooded.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 1–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1–2 -nate. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.3–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 3–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas; smooth. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.5–3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 2–4 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 2.5–4 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with distinct primaries but obscure intermediates; stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on back. Lemma apex acute. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous; ciliate; adorned in the middle. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.1–0.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA, northeast USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA.

NOTES Poeae. Gr Texas 1997.

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