Poa fragilis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–38 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; scaberulous; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.2–0.25 of their length closed; longer than adjacent culm internode; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 6–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches 0.6–1 cm long. Panicle branches stiff; scabrous; rough throughout.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3 mm long; membranous; purple; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex erose; acuminate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

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.