Poa mucuchachensis

HABIT Perennial. Stolons absent, or present. Culms geniculately ascending; 40–45 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long; acuminate. Leaf-blades flexuous; flat, or conduplicate; 3–15 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 6–11 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches 2–4 -nate; whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled.

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

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 3.8 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scabrous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Luces 1996.

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