Poa paludigena

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms geniculately ascending; 15–70 cm long. Culm-internodes terete. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–1.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades erect; 0.3–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; loose; 5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 2.5–3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins with distinct primaries but obscure intermediates. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA and northeast USA.

NOTES Poeae. Man US Gr 1997.

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