GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Poa gamblei

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths scarious; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; 20–45 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths tight; scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 4–8 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle open; elliptic; 6–12 cm long; 10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate; 3–7 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 6.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough at apex. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 5.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough at apex. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 5.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; yellow; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scabrous; rough generally. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.75 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Bor.

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