Poa perrieri

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–40 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 5–6 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; 10–13 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 2–3 -nate. Panicle branches flexuous; smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth; glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.2 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; elliptic in profile; 3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 3 mm long. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 2.5 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Poeae. Camus 1994.

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