New! - Search other data sources for Poa himalayana

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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 himalayana

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or elongated. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Culms 5–30 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 2 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; ovate; 8–16 cm long; 4–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2 -nate; 1–3 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.5 mm long; smooth. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 2.25–2.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough at apex. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.75–3.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume margins scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 4–4.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins extending close to apex. Lemma surface scaberulous, or pitted; pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.75–1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Bor.

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