Poa gymnantha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 13–25 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4–8 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades involute; 5–12 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute, or acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 3–5.5 cm long; 0.8–1.3 cm wide. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–6 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 lanceolate; 3.5–3.8 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4–4.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 4.6–5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Tovar 1995.

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