Poa jubata

HABIT Annual; culms solitary. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; slender; 12–27 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; purple (at base); smooth. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.5 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 1–3 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 2–5 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 3–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas; smooth. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; with lower narrower than upper; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 2–2.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface hirsute; hairy on veins. Lemma margins villous. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.6–0.7 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1997.

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