Poa paucispicula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–30 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flat; 4–6 cm long; 3–4 mm wide; flaccid; light green. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 5–9 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–5 cm long; bearing 2–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches flexuous; smooth; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; elliptic in profile; 4–5 mm long; membranous; purple; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent; hairy at base. Lemma lateral veins stopping well short of apex. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins pubescent; hairy at base. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate; 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: Subarctic and northwest USA.

NOTES Poeae. Scribn. & Merr. 2001.

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