Poa pagophila

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths herbaceous; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; slender; 13–40 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–3.5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 3–16 cm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 6–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading, or reflexed; 2 -nate. Panicle branches capillary; smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; laterally compressed; 4.5–5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous, or woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 3–3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 3.5–4.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface scaberulous; glabrous. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels spinulose; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pak.

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