Poa disjecta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 20–40 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.33–0.5 of their length closed. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.3 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 0.5–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; nodding. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2.5–4 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous; rough distally.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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

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

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 3.5–4.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy between veins. Lemma apex erose; acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.8–1.3 mm long; yellow.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl USSR 1996.

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