Poa hissarica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms 15–40 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–5 cm long. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia and China.

NOTES Poeae. Fl USSR 1995.

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