Poa horridula

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; robust; 30–90 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–6 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface; acute. Leaf-blades 10–40 cm long; 5–10 mm wide; herbaceous, or coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 16–30 cm long; 7–10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 7–15 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5.7–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3–4.2 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 4.5–6 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above and on veins; glabrous. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.2–2.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Tovar 1995.

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