Poa densa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb. Culms erect; 20–40 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 5–8 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; elliptic; 4–7 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–5 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; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. 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; 2.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface scabrous; rough on veins. Lemma apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia and Caucasus.

NOTES Poeae. Fl USSR 1995.

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