Poa huancavelicae

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms geniculately ascending; 25–45 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-internodes scaberulous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5–12 mm long; acuminate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 4–12 cm long; 2.5–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; hooded.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 5–9 cm long; with spikelets clumped along branches. Panicle branches capillary; smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.3–4 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 3.8–4.3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 4–4.5 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; glabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels smooth; eciliate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5 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.