Poa macroanthera

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely, or moderately, or densely. Rhizomes absent. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms 40–45 cm long; 2–4 -noded; with 0.5 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes terete; smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.4 of their length closed; 10–11 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface, or scaberulous on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 3–15 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough on both sides; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; effuse; 8–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–3 -nate; 2–5 cm long; bearing 8 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 5.6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas; smooth. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets bisexual, or female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; elliptic in profile; 4–5.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy above. Lemma lateral veins prominent; stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above; glabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scabrous; ciliate; adorned in the middle. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Poeae. Fl China 2005.

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