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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 flexuosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or short. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 6–25 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–4 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 2–6 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; hooded.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; effuse; 1–5 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 2 -nate. Panicle branches flexuous; smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; laterally compressed; 4–5.5 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 ovate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 3–4 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 3–4 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous; ciliolate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface scabrous; rough between veins; pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea 0.7–0.8 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.8–1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern.

NOTES Poeae. CEH.

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