Poa eminens

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; robust; 50–130 cm long; 3–6 mm diam. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.2–3 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 4–11 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; elliptic; 9–24 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches stiff; smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 7–11.5 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 elliptic; 5–6 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 7–8 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; elliptic in profile; 7–8 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface puberulous to pilose; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous; ciliolate; adorned in the middle. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.3–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east and eastern Asia. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, and eastern Canada.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Alaska 1994.

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